Christmas on Grand Pulse
by TheShadowHunterXIII
Summary: Just a Christmas Special featuring Final Fantasy XIII. I got the idea based off my question for SnowEmbrace's OC character, Chantal. Her answer really inspired me for this fanfiction. I just figured of making the whole thing a Christmas story since it's the holidays.
1. Welcome to Grand Pulse

**A/N: Tes the Fanfiction, and my family in Grand Pulse...Oh how I wish I really was living in the world of Final Fantasy XIII. Or...MY version of it is more like it, and I think you all know my reasons of choosing my own version over Square Enix.**

 **Now we go on with the story. It's Christmas here on Grand Pulse, and Lightning is celebrating the holidays with her l'Cie family. Not just them, but they also have a very special and talented guest star. Me! ...Oh, and Chantal too from SnowEmbrace.**

 **Ha, ha, ha. I'm just kidding. Chantal is the real special guest star. I am not one who withers in arrogance.**

* * *

Civilization has really improved on Grand Pulse since the fall of Cocoon. Of course it's only been a couple of months.

It's a few days before it's Christmas and everyone is getting ready for the holidays. If only PSICOM could. Boy, how evil never sleeps. Not even for the holidays. It's a snowy day, New Bodhum is very festive for Christmas. Banners and lights all over the city. Christmas Tree on nearly every street. Snow all over the grasslands and sidewalks.

Funny thing is that the Crystal Memorial Fountain really touches up on the season.

The former l'Cies are setting up the decorations for Christmas. Hope and Serah are setting up the tree. Hope takes the lower branches while Serah's doing the top while humming 'Deck the halls', and Snow is holding the ladder steady. Lightning is setting up the fire place and Fang is just sitting by the bar enjoying some wine.

"Can't believe Christmas is near. Man, time sure does fly." Sazh says.

"It will be nice to spend the holidays together." Snow says.

"Yeah, it sure does beat spending it with a group of kids." Fang says with a chuckle, then Lightning joins in as well.

Snow seems offended, he knows that she's talking about his group NORA. Serah starts walking down the ladder. "I think it's nice that one of Patrick's friends is coming by to spend the holidays with us."

Chantal is an old friend of mine. When I was sixteen, I signed up for the Pen Pal system to a Middle School in Palumpolum back on Cocoon. I ended up with Chantal. We've been writing to each other ever sense.

From what I've learned, she's a shy girl about three years younger then me, so she should be eighteen right now. Very friendly and understanding, trustworthy even. However, that doesn't mean I could tell her my dark secrets, such as my fathers death. Really smart, an Honor's Student even.

If anything, Chantal is a lot like me before the Cie'th incident with my dad. The only difference between us is that I dropped out of school.

Recently, I heard she became a student for Eden university while I was becoming a l'Cie with Lightning and the others trying to save the world from our Focus. I can only imagine how much damage our salvation to the world caused to her life. But from what I've heard two months after the fall, she's doing very well. Since Eden is no more, she went to a small college in Palumpolum, back to her original home town.

What's funny is that she's in the same hometown as Hope and yet the boy has never heard of her. They say 'it's a small world', but I guess Cocoon isn't small enough.

On my last letter, Chantal has some free time since school is closed, so I offered for her to spent the holidays with my family. And she accepted. It's a great opportunity. Chantal wanted to see Grand Pulse after I told her about everything during my adventure. It would be nice to meet and see her in person. Plus she really wants to meet my friends who've been like a family to me...and Snow.

Even through I told her what a jerk Snow is, she's curious to meet him. She even said, 'I'm also curious to meet this Snow guy, even if you say he's a jerk. I'd prefer talking with him directly before judging him.' Though I do understand what she means about judgment, that I can relate.

"I just hope this friend is not like him." Fang says, crossing his legs. "I can't tell if I should feel more sorry for Snow or myself."

Everyone looks at Fang like she said something stupid. "Leave him alone, Fang. You know why he's like this." Lightning says.

"Yeah. Yeah. The whole 'Killing-my-Cie'th-father' scenairo. I'm familiar with that speech." Fang says.

"Fang. It was a horrible dark day for Patrick." Serah says with worry.

"Even I felt bad." Lightning says. Even everyone looks at her like she wasn't expecting that, since from the start Lightning never really liked me cause I was a Mercenary when we met. "Well, killing his dad was one thing cause he turned Cie'th, but it was when he was cutting himself that was terrible. I mean, I get he was upset about what he has done, but that was no reason to hurt himself like that."

Everyone mutters in agreement. "Anyways, you should know how he feels at least, Fang. After all, what would happen if Vanille turned Cie'th? You even turned my son into a l'Cie just to save her." Sazh says.

Fang just gives Sazh a look, then looks away groaning in silent. She knows he is right. "Well, all that is behind him, isn't it?" Vanille asks.

Lightning knows it's true, since I throw away the dagger I used on my dad and myself after we woke up from crystal stasis. "It is, and I think it's nice he has other friends. I can't wait to meet Chantal." Serah says.

"From everything he mentioned about her...do you think she knows about the Cie'th incident he went through?" Hope asks.

Everyone else wonders as well. "He didn't say anything about telling her, so I'm guessing no." Sazh says.

"It's probably best if we didn't say anything to her." Serah says, and everyone else agrees. "Hope. Would you mind helping me put up the lights?"

"Not at all." Hope says.

* * *

I await at the drop off by the Crystal Pillar, in the snow with Snowflake.

After the fall, many people choose to live on Grand Pulse, others to stay on Cocoon. The united military force known as ORPHAN decided to use few of the warships to do deliveries, travels and drop offs between Cocoon and Grand Pulse until we have installed the Grand Elevator.

I am right now waiting by the drop off for Chantal. I just wish there was a warm place for me to wait in.

"Ah-choo!" Snowflake looks at me a bit startled after hearing my sneeze. I take a drink from my cup of hot chocolate. "I hate the cold!" I say, wrapping my trench coat tight for warmth, then look at Snowflake. "You're lucky you have a feather coat keeping you warm...and haven't endured being out in the cold rain for weeks, and then hours at the Yuna concert."

Snowflake only give a soft kawh. I just hope Chantal doesn't keep me waiting for too long.

After five agonizing frozen minutes, an airship arrives. Once it lands, it unloads all the people who are riding. Chantal gave me a photo of her on the last letter she sent me, so I know who she is. I just told her to look out for a male hunter dressed in black with a white chocobo.

I look through the crowd of thousands, until I have my eyes on an eighteen year old girl in straight, brown-grayish hair, with a backpack and a luggage bag. That's her.

Normally, Chantal is in a hot pink shirt with the waist black that partly reveals her left shoulder, silver ruffled skirt with black leggings, white shoes with black laces and black elevator heels. But she is right now in a thick deep red coat with a colorful scarf to protect herself from the cold.

I approach her. "Chantal?"

I have her attention. "Yes?" Chantal gets a look at me. Black trench coat. Black pants. Boots. Black fadora with a Mockingjay pen and a white chocobo behind me. She found me. "Patrick!" Chantal seems pretty excited, the girl even pulls me into a hug.

I hug her back without hesitation, not only because I'm glad to meet her in person, but I'm also freezing and can use some warmth...I probably shouldn't mention that second part. "It's good to see you, Chantal." I say.

After our hug, we get a good look at each other. "Wow. You are...different then I was expecting." Chantal says.

"I'd say the same thing about you, but that goes against everything I believe in about judgment." I say. "Well...welcome to Grand Pulse." Chantal gets a look at the view of the world, which is snow. mostly snow and ice. "Yeah...not much as I mentioned it. It's mainly amazing in the spring and summer. Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. It's just perfect." Chantal says.

I chuckle a little. "I see you're in spirits like your letters say." Chantal giggles. "Now let's head to my place, I'm becoming a popsicle out here."

I introduce Chantal to Snowflake. She really enjoys the chocobo, and I can see that Snowflake is taking a liking back to Chantal, rubs her head onto Chantal. Once I load her luggage on the settle I help Chantal get on Snowflake. Then I hop on.

"You ever rode a chocobo?" I ask as I grab the reins.

"No. I haven't." Chantal says, nervously.

"Well, then you're in for, literally, a ride of a lifetime." I say. "Hang on."

Chantal wraps her arms around me. I command Snowflake to run. Chantal screams as Snowflake runs through the winds. Chantal has her head buried on my back, holding on tightly.

"You doing okay back there?" I ask her, loudly enough to be heard over the winds.

Chantal doesn't answer at first. I know I heard screaming from the start, but then she's laughing with enjoy as she raises her head. "Wow! This is amazing!"

This is defiantly her first time riding a chocobo. Frightened yet excited.

We ride through the snowy fields of Grand Pulse. Chantal seems pretty amazed by the world so far. "I still can't believe a world like this exists, even from Grand Pulse of all worlds."

"Well, the Sanctum and Fal'Cie weren't too far off from what they were telling us about Grand Pulse." I say. "This world is a place ruled by the brutal struggle for survival. When I first arrived with Lightning and the others, there was nothing but crumbling ruins and bloodthirsty wildlife. And from what Vanille and Fang mentioned: There is no such thing as mercy. Only a never-ending string of trials that weed out the weak, and leave only the strong."

Chantal seems a bit shocked by my words. "Wow. That's...that's scary. It's no wonder people fear this world."

"Indeed. But who's to say we can't change the laws of nature?" I say, earning a surprise look from Chantal. "From what I've learned during my travels as l'Cie is that we look out for each other. Even against the toughest of battle and trials, we will prevail. Such as saving Cocoon from its own destruction. Grand Pulse can try to weed out the weak, but it also guides the strong to protect the weak."

"Wow...that's deep." Chantal says.

I smile giving Chantal a small nod, then that moment is ruined when a bellow roar echoes. "Uh oh. Speaking of which." We both look ahead to see a Behemoth charging at us. Chantal screams as the Behemoth leaps at us. "Duck!" Chantal and I take cover as Snowflake bends down and slides on the snow. The Behemoth leaps over us, just barely.

Snowflake stands back up and turns to the Behemoth, who's snarling as it turns to us. "Great. I thought those Behemoths went to hibernation." I get off of Snowflake, glaring at the Behemoth. "Okay, beast! You think I'm scared of you? I once faced the end of the world, taken on the entire Sanctum army and defeated several powerful Fal'Cie!" I would also add 'killed my own father' but I prefer not to with Chantal presence. "A-bring it!"

The Behemoth roars and charges towards me. Chantal is worried. I start off in Synergist, strengthening myself with Bravery, Protect and Vigilance, then I shift to one of my secondary roles: Sentinel. The second the beast is close, I do Vendetta, and grab the Behemoth by the head and teeth when it strikes.

Chantal is surprise, I was pretty sturdy from the impact, didn't flinch and only slid back slowly by three feet. I grit at my teeth holding the monster back, then I give it a hard repel, causing it to lose its balance and collapse on the ground.

While it's knocked down, I quickly shift back to Synergist, give myself Haste, then I went to Saboteur. I take out my bow and do Black Shot, shooting the Behemoth with dark arrows. The beast suffers Deprotect, Poison and Slow from the shots.

Chantal is amazed by my fight, single-handly taking down a Behemoth. Once the creature is back on its legs, I shift into Commando, attacking it with my full strength. I am running to the sides, shooting rapidly with my bow and arrows. The The arrows pierces the beasts flesh, but it shows no signs of stopping. The Behemoth leaps in front of me. I swipes, but I jump, landing on its shoulder then shoot it right in the eye.

The Behemoth bellows in agony. It snaps its jaw right at me. I leap back to avoid the attack. Midair, I conjure a Ruinga in my hand, and enhanced my arrow with it. I land, loading the Ruin Arrow on my bow. I aim at the behemoth and fire.

The arrow pierces, then the Ruin magic takes over and explodes, sending the Behemoth flying.

I quickly get on Snowflake, making a get away while the monster is staggering. "Hyah!" Snowflake obeys and runs off.

We were able to out run the Behemoth before it manages to get back on its feet. But we didn't let our guard down. Just then, we are being chased by Snow Wolves. "Man! You've gotta be kidding me!" I say. "Hang on, Chantal!"

I command Snowflake to run faster. Even so, the wolves are still catching up to us. Two of them chase after us on the sides. I shoot the one of the left, hit it right in the mouth. The one on the right pounces, and I command Snowflake to move left. We avoid the attack.

Snowflake runs right into the trench canyon. The wolves follows us all the way in. "They're on our tail." Chantal shouts in worry.

I look up at the cliffs. I have an idea. "Not for long!" I create another Ruin Arrow. I load and aim for a high point of the cliff. I don't shoot, I try to find the right spot to shoot. Once I do, I let it fly.

The arrow flies high and fast. The second it hits the cliff, it explodes and the boulders starts falling. Chantal is worried, the boulders falling are straight ahead. Either we're going to be crushed or blocked by a dead end and devoured by Snow Wolves. Either way, we're dead.

"Haste!" I cast Haste on Snowflake, and the chocobo sprints at high speed. Even the cold stings twice as much, three times for me.

The boulders crashes to the ground, blocking the path the very second we made it through. The Snow Wolves stop. For them, it's a dead end, and a loss for dinner.

Chantal and I manage to make it out.

* * *

After five minutes of fleeing, we were able to relax. We arrive at the cove, the entrance to New Bodhum.

"Patrick. You were awesome back there." Chantal says.

"Guess you can say being a l'Cie has its benefits." I say. We arrive at New Bodhum. Chantal is surprised once we pass through the force field like a bubble. "We're here."

Chantal gets a view of New Bodhum. "Wow." She hops off of Snowflake. "It's like a winter wonderland. It's amazing."

I hop off of Snowflake as well, but still hold onto the reins. "It is, isn't it? Of course the town is more lively in the summer. When it's the beach season." I start walking. "This way."

I show Chantal around the city while we make our way to my house. There's not too much sight seeing around here since it's mostly snow and ice in the winter season. The one place Chantal really enjoyed seeing was the memorial fountain. She's never seen anything like it.

A mountain made entirely out of crystal. And with it are statues of myself and the rest of the l'Cie gang, and a statue of the Cocoon Crystal Pillar on the top center.

It's pretty amazing.

After a short sight seeing, I now take Chantal to my house. I put Snowflake back into the stables. Chantal is nervous about meeting Lightning and the others, but I tell her they're friendly people. Excluding Snow.

That said, we go inside.


	2. Meeting the l'Cies

**A/N: Feels a bit odd making a Kingdom Hearts OC character into a Final Fantasy XIII story...heh, why should I care? I made myself into a Kingdom Hearts story and my OC is mainly a Final Fantasy XIII. You could say it's pretty ironic. Turning the tables on character placements. Putting OC's from Final Fantasy XIII and Kingdom Hearts and putting them into each other's stories.**

* * *

I never thought I feeling the warmth once again. I'm just glad I made it home before I suffered hypothermia. "We're back!"

I close the door before any more of the snow gets blown into the house. Hearing my announcement, everyone drops everything. Or in Serah's case finish putting up the first set of lights on the tree, then they all come to the door. Chantal is surprised to see how many people I live with, only seven other people. Eight including Dajh.

Everyone just stands there looking at Chantal. For Hope, his eyes light up and he seems nervous. I got a feeling I know what that means.

"Everybody, this is Chantal." I say. I look at Chantal, she seems a bit frozen. Not from the cold but from shyness. Funny since nearly half an hour ago, she was feeling welcome when meeting me for the first time. "Chantal. Say something."

Chantal slowly raises a hand for a wave, gives a small smile barely showing her teeth, and let out a nervous chuckle. "Ha. Wow. When you said she's shy, you weren't kidding." Fang says.

I don't bother reacting to Fang's comment, even through it's true. "Anyways. Chantal, meet my friends." I first introduced her to Vanille, figuring her innocent silliness might show Chantal some friendly encouragement. "This is Vanille. She's nurse of the New Bodhum Clinic, and one of the two remaining Pulsian's."

Vanille waves and smiles cheerful. "Hello."

"Uh...Hi." Chantal says. So far so good.

"No need to be nervous. she's not gonna bite." I say.

"No, but Fang defiantly will." Sazh says with a chuckle. Fang became offended and then stomps his foot.

"He's just kidding Chantal. All though she can be very intimidating sometimes." I say. "Fang is a Pulsian Hunter. Tough and fearless. And Sazh runs the weapons shop in the town."

"Charmed, darling." Fang says.

Chantal begins to relax. "Well...they do seem friendly."

"Ah, that's good. Moving on." I next introduce Chantal to Hope. "This is Hope."

Now Chantal is surprised to see Hope, almost as much as he is to see her. "Hope is a boy? From what you wrote, I thought he's a girl."

I was about to say something, then I suddenly realize in all of my letters, I never mentioned Hope is a boy. The name is mainly a girl's name and from what I mentioned to Chantal, I did made it sound like he's a girl.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have left that out." I say, quietly. Then I clear my throat. "Hope. Say something." Just my luck, the boy is silent, yet frozen. Then I nudge him in the elbow, returning him to reality.

"U-uh hi." Hope gives Chantal a friendly hand shake. "I-it's you pretty." The second he says that, Chantal seems confused, yet concern. As well as everyone else. "I-I mean, pretty face you. I mean. Pleasure to meet you." Hopefully, Hope saved it. But this is an awkward moment for Chantal.

"Uh...like wise...I guess?" Chantal says.

Serah smiles, knowing what's going on. She leans to Vanille, whispering. "Hope's got a crush." She says in a singly tone, then she and Vanille giggle.

"Yeah, sorry. He's...not usually like this." I say, moving Chantal to Lightning.

"It's fine. Really." Chantal looks at Lightning. "Oh. You must be Serah. Patrick told me a lot about you."

Lightning raises an eyebrow. "I have, but that's not her." I say. "This is actually her sister, Lightning. She's my partner in the Guardian Corps of ORPHAN."

"Really?" Chantal asks, speechless.

"He's right, and I can honestly say he turned out to be an amazing partner." Lightning says.

"Turned out?" Chantal can tell that means something.

"It's a long story. Lightning use to hate me but grow a liking to me." I say. "Anyways. This here is the real Serah. She's a teacher."

Serah smiles. "Nice to meet you, Chantal. You seem really nice."

Chantal smiles. "Thanks. Patrick told me about you a lot. I almost believed you were his girlfriend."

That certainly gave Serah, Snow and I an awkward moment. "Oh...well, Patrick is a nice guy. But he's really more like a brother to me." Serah says. "Besides, I'm already married."

"Oh really? To who?" Chantal asks with excitement. Suddenly, she's becoming Vanille.

"To that guy." I say, rather bitterly. Chantal notices Snow right next to Serah, then suddenly freezes up. Almost like she's afraid to see him. "I wouldn't talk to him, Chantal. He's the jerk I warned you about."

Now Chantal is surprised. "Wh-what...He's that Snow guy you mentioned?"

"That's right." Chantal just stares at Snow, nervous. She's back to her old shy-self. "I guess my warnings must made you scared of him."

"N-no. It's not that." Chantal says. "I-it's just...he looks a lot like Sky."

Everyone looks at Chantal confused, especially Snow and Serah. I on the other hand just laugh like it's some joke. "Oh, good one Chantal." Chantal just looks at me, partly offended, then my laughter dies when I realize she's not joking. "Wait. You're serious? Sky. The strong, handsome, charming boy, that you are crushing on like crazy, looks a lot like THIS joker?"

Chantal nods. "Yeah." She takes out her phone, accessing through the photos, sliding through the pages until she finds a single picture of Sky, and shows it to me.

I constantly switch attentions between Snow and the picture of Sky. They are identical. "Oh..." I begin to look away. "And now I feel sick to my stomach."

Serah approaches Chantal, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Uh, sorry about Patrick. He and Snow have a...complicated relationship."

"I already know, Patrick told me everything about Snow. I just would like to get to know him personally before judging who he is." Chantal says.

"Sounds like something Patrick would say." Serah says.

I begin removing my trench coat, to remove the extra layers of my jacket. Won't be needing them now that I'm inside the warmth. "Not to Villiers, I wouldn't!" I say.

I remove the last jacket. I was about to put my trench coat back on then Chantal is shocked to see my left arm in bandages. "Oh dear, Patrick. Your arm is in bandages. You okay?"

Now I frozen, then Vanille speaks. "Oh. That? That's just..."

Vanille gets cut off when I put a hand over her mount, silencing her. The girl muffles her words. "Nothing. Nothing that concerns you." I tell Chantal. "I'm perfectly fine, no need to worry."

Chantal isn't convinced, but doesn't say anything. Serah knows she had to save me. "Uh, Chantal. Why don't we show you around. You haven't gotten a chance to see the house yet."

Chantal knows it's true and decided to take Serah's offer. Serah and everyone else, except for Vanille and I, leave the room. Once they're gone, I give Vanille a close glare, showing my bandaged arm at the corner of her vision.

"Not a word about the scars. You hear me?" I tell her. She only answers with a nod.

* * *

Vanille and I join the others after our little talk. Chantal doesn't know what I've been through in my past with my father. I don't want her to know about the scars, the markings of my guilt and suffering. The scars aren't as long and far up on my arm as they use to before the fall, thanks to the salve Vanille made me.

"What a lovely house this is." Chantal says.

"It is, isn't it? We worked really hard building it after the fall." Fang say.

"Feel free to make yourself a home." Serah says.

Chantal smiles as Serah's generous offer. "It's very nice for you to be with us for Christmas." I say.

"It is, but remember. I have be home by Christmas morning." Chantal says.

"Yes, yes. Of course." I say. "How about I show you to your room?"

"And once you settle in, you can help out with the decorations." Vanille says.

I take Chantal upstairs to her room. All the bedrooms, except for Serah and Snow's who share the one bedroom on the ground floor. Lightning and I can hardly tolerate it. But Lightning is going to let it go since Serah is married and not a little kid. But that doesn't change anything for me.

I escort Chantal down the hallway. Chantal looks all around as we walk. She enjoys the decorations and the household necessaries. I explain to Chantal about this house, what she can't believe is how big it is. I even told her we're a big family, so we should live in a big home.

Go big or don't go home as they say.

Chantal suddenly stops when she looks into the run room. "He-hey. What is this?"

I stop and look into the room. The room has a silver, with golden pattern, piano right in the middle, with a desk on one of the corners. "Oh, that's a piano room. It's where Lightning spends her alone time." Lightning may not seem like it, but she's a pianist. "From what Serah told me, that piano is a family heirloom."

"No way. That's pretty amazing." Chantal walks right in. She sits on the piano chair. "I never even know you guys have a piano."

"Well, it's more like Lightning owns the piano." I say. "I've heard her play a few times and she-" I shortly go silent when Chantal starts playing. Not really from worry about Chantal touching Lightning's prized possession, but from subduction at Chantal's beautiful play. A mix of classical and peaceful music. "Sounds nothing like that." I say in a surprise tone.

I watch Chantal. What I notice is that as she plays, her eyes are closed. It's like she lets her hands do the seeing. That's like a sign of a master pianist. That certainly caught me by surprise.

I'm speechless the whole time up until Chantal finishes playing. "Chantal. That was amazing. I never knew you can play the piano."

Chantal smiles. "Thank you. I took piano lessons when I was little. I never really talk about it, I usually just play whenever I'm alone."

"Never talk about it?" I ask. "I know you're shy, but it's nothing to hide about. You're very talented."

"This is really nothing. I've played better, sometimes sing a little." Chantal says.

"Well, I would like to hear more sometime." I say.

When we were done with Lightning's piano I now take Chantal to her room, which is at the end of the hallway. All it has is a single bed, a nightstand, empty dresser and a computer. "It's not much, but it's very roomy, and also away from Vanille's room. She sleep talks, sometimes a lot." My tone turns to annoyance at the 'sometimes a lot'. That just made Chantal laugh a little.

"It's fine. I love it." She says.

"Good to hear. So, I'll leave you to unpack. But once your done, come to the living room to meet up with everyone else." I say.

Chantal smiles and gives a single nod. "I will. thank you."

* * *

Serah, Hope, Sazh and Snow are right now in the living room. Serah and Hope are putting together some popcorn strings. Hope handles the needle, doing popcorn popcorn cranberry popcorn popcorn cranberry and repeat, while Serah straightens and lines up the popcorn, and Sazh and Snow set the linings on the tree.

Just a little tradition Hope use to do with his parents. Serah and Lightning thought it was a good idea.

"So...Hope." Serah starts to look a bit excited as she leans close to Hope. "I sense someone's got a crush." Her tone makes it sound like she's teasing him.

Hope looks at her eyes open. "Is it that obvious?"

Serah laughs. "I think it's cute you have a crush." Serah pinches Hopes check, now talking in a teasing baby tone. "You're such a Hopey-wopey."

Hope moans in complaint as he makes Serah stop. It's one thing for Vanille to do it to him, but when Serah does it, just seems embarrassing. He's lucky Fang isn't around to see it, or he'll never show his face around her again.

"I know I only just met her. It's just...she's so pretty, I couldn't help it. Do you think I have a shot with Chantal?" Hope asks.

Serah isn't really sure what to say to lift his spirits. She doesn't know Chantal very well. As a matter of fact, she only heard about her when I got back in touch with Chantal two months after the fall.

"Well, uh..." Serah clears her throat. "I can honestly say you are a great kid, Hope and any girl would be lucky to be with you." That makes Hope blush a little. "But, I don't really know Chantal very well. But she does seem very friendly. I would suggest getting to know her first. And that you shouldn't mention you only like her cause she's pretty. Most girls don't like a guy who's shallow."

"I know, right?" Snow says. "I would never do a thing like that."

"I highly doubt that." I say, walking into the living room. "If Serah wasn't pretty, I picture you running for the hills...and then I would hunt you down."

I don't know who's offended more by that comment, Serah or Snow. "How's Chantal doing?"

"Good. I just got her into the guest room. She'll be down in a minute." I say. "I was quite surprised. Apparently, Chantal is very talented with a piano."

Serah and Hope are astonished to hear that. "Seriously? ...Wait, did she play on that heirloom piano?" Hope asks.

"Indeed. I just wish you guys could have heard her play." I say.

Hope smiles, resting his head on his hands. Like he's drifting off into a daydream. "I bet she plays like an angel." The lets out a sigh.

Serah looks at Hope then back at me. "Say, Patrick. You know Chantal very well. Do you think Hope has a chance with her?"

"He's crushing on her, isn't he?" I say.

Hearing that sends Hope back into reality. "Is it really that obvious?" Hope asks, surprised.

I get what he's talking about, the way he behaved. "There's that and Chantal did use to talk about boys always hitting on her. Starting with her ex, Spud." I say. "Anyways, Chantal and Hope are indeed...similar in most ways. But I wouldn't waste your time trying to win her heart."

"Why? What are her interests in a guy?" Sazh asks.

"Well, she likes a guy who's smart, polite, sweet..." I say, but get quickly interrupted.

"But. I'm all those things." Hope says and Serah agrees.

"I'm well aware, kid. But she really falls so easily for handsome boys. She's even already crushing majorly on someone else." I say. Hearing that returned Hope and Serah into reality. They almost forgot Chantal mentioned that Snow looks a lot like Sky. "So unless you can become Prince Charming over night, you're doomed."

With that said, I leave the living room heading into the kitchen. Serah and Hope are a bit speechless with my words. Hope is the one who's mostly disappointed.

Snow walks right behind the couch, putting his hands on Hopes shoulders. "Hey, come on kid. Cheer up. I'm sure she'll give you a chance."

"Snow's right. What Patrick said...might be true, but just let Chantal get to know you better. I'm sure she'll think about it." Serah says.

Snow and Serah really lifted up some of Hope's spirits. Maybe he does have a chance, after everything I said. With a smile, he nods. "Yeah. You're right."

Hope, Serah and Snow continue working on the popcorn strings. I'm in the kitchen helping Lightning doing the dishes. We both talk for a while. Mostly about Chantal. I tell her that Hope is having a crush on Chantal. She was pretty surprised to hear that, but then changes expressions when I told her what I said to him.

"Now why would you say that to him?" Lightning asks.

"Cause I really don't think he does. Besides, she's really crushing on someone else." I say.

Lightning shudders the thought about Sky. She knows he's a different person, but he still looks a lot like Snow. Her brother-in-law who she can't stand, at least not once in a while.

"Well, I understand what you mean. Maybe it's true, but I think he should at least be given a chance." Lightning says.

"Oh really? So you would give him a chance if you were that girl?" I say, teasing Lightning.

Lightning gives an offend look. She admits Hope is a nice boy, but he's too young for her. Not to mention she adopted him, so he's kind of like a figurative son or little brother to her.

"Shut up and scrub the dishes, bow boy." Lightning says as she tosses a soapy dish rag in my face.


	3. Knowing Each Other Part I

**A/N: We all know our favorite Final Fantasy characters. But Chantal doesn't. Maybe she should get to know them better. Just because she's shy doesn't mean she should be a stranger. She's already spending the holidays with a group of strangers.**

 **Maybe it's time for strangers to become frienders...Yeah, that's lame. *Takes out tape recorder* Note to self: No more rhyme jokes.**

* * *

Chantal has spent the day at the household with everyone. She still gets nervous around Snow, and feeling awkward around Hope. Serah, Vanille and I try to make her feel at home. On my side, I try to keep Snow away from Chantal. Not really because he makes her nervous, but because I don't want him to ruin anything about Chantal.

I alway lost Serah once to the Sanctum and the fate of a l'Cie.

Let Nora die and broke the promise I made to Hope.

I am not going to lose Chantal to his meathead.

Out in the snow, Fang and Chantal are shoveling the snow on the sidewalk and driveway. Chantal never thought she would end up doing physical labor during her visit. But Fang needed help, since Lightning and I are assigned for an escort mission, Hope's not exactly physically fit and Snow is goofing off with his NORA crew at the cafe.

Chantal stops to catch her breath. "Boy, shoveling snow is hard."

"You never done any of this?" Fang asks.

"Not really. My dad use to do all the physical work back at home." Chantal says.

"No surprise. Still, beats shoveling the snow with Patrick." Fang continues her work on shoveling, still talking while doing it. "Always complaining about the cold. Tch. What a cry baby."

"You can't really blame him." Chantal pins the shovel into the snow. "From what he use to tell me, he once spent weeks living in the cold dark rain. I felt so bad for him. Hey, Fang. you use to be in Crystal, didn't you?"

"Bet your luck I did, sweetheart." Fang says.

"What was it like? Being a sleep for hundreds of years?" Chantal asks.

Fang suddenly stops shoveling. She's a bit surprised Chantal asked her that. "I honestly can't tell you." After her pause, Fang continues to shovel. "When I woke up from stasis, I lost my memory. All I could remember was our past. My home, Vanille, our Focus. After that, it was all blink. Like an empty page."

"That's gotta be scary, even when you're a l'Cie." Chantal says.

"Indeed. I was so obsessed with trying to complete our Focus, that I didn't even care about anything else." Fang says. "We even got everyone else turned to l'Cie, cause we weren't doing our job right. First Serah, and then everyone else."

Chantal tries to see a bright sight on the whole story. "But, it's a good thing it happened, right? I mean...you all became friends." She says.

"That's right. Became family even." Fang says.

"It must be nice to have friends who become like family. I've never really been real close with anyone." Chantal continues shoveling.

"Must be tough being a shy girl. Vanille was like that once." Chantal is surprised to hear that. She knows the kind of people Vanille is. Free spirited and all about sugar and rainbows. How can you picture someone like her to be shy. "When I first met her, the poor girl could barely speak. But then we went on adventures together. Next thing you know, she's opened up."

Chantal smiles. The two of them continue shoveling in silence.

* * *

Chantal now sits in the living room. After all that shoveling she could use some warming up from standing in the snow. Maybe now she understands how I feel about the cold. Sitting by the fire reading a Twilight novel is just what she needs.

Hope is making some hot chocolate for the girl. He figures he could make his move while they're alone, unless Snow or Fang tries to butt in. If they do he is doomed.

He's about to approach Chantal with a tray of two cups of hot chocolate. He just stops and takes a deep breath, then whispers to himself. "Okay, Hope. Just relax and...let her get to know you better." Relaxed and cool, he makes his move. "He-hey, Chantal. I uh, brought you some hot chocolate." He has her attention as he sets the tray on the coffee table. "I just thought you might want some...Y-you know, after being out in the cold."

Chantal smiles and closes her book, setting it aside so she can grab a cup. "Thank you. Very thoughtful."

So far so good for the kid. He now sits next to her on the couch accepting his drink. He's sitting close to her, only by few inches. Want to get close but keep a safe and comfortable distance.

"So...uh, do you...spend most of your holidays like this?" Hope says.

Chantal wonders what he meant. Being with someone else or just reading a book while enjoying the quiet. "Uh. Well, I only sit by the fire with someone once. My ex-boyfriend."

Now Hope feels nervous. His crushie talking about her Ex-boyfriend. "O-oh. Really?" Now he realizes he's doing the same thing, and they're not even a couple just yet. "Well...What was he like? What happened between you two?"

"My, I've never seen someone who interested in my boyfriend life." Chantal says, Hope only give a nervous chuckle hearing that. "Well. Spud was a sweet boy, very smart. We use to do everything together. What happened between us, umm..." Hope waits for her answer, but wonders if he upset her a bit, given she's looking down at her cup. "Well, let's just say the spark between us is gone." Chantal gives her hot chocolate a blow and takes a drink before continuing to speak. "So, Hope, tell me a little bit about yourself."

Hope didn't really expect this. He wanted Chantal to get to know him, but doesn't know what to say. "Uh...o-okay. What do you want to know?"

"Well, how did you end up with these people? And aren't your parents around?" Chantal asks.

The whole time she never saw Hope's parents. Unless it's Sazh, he's seems old enough to be a father. In fact he IS a father. To Dajh. Her wondering now sends Hope to depression. Not much, just little. "My parents...they're...dead, actually." Chantal opens her eyes, gasps a little. "My mother died during a Purge, and my father died at the hands of PSICOM."

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I didn't know." Chantal says in a gentle tone.

"No, no. It's fine." Hope says, a bit too forceful in nervousness. "I mean...I never got along with my dad. He's always so busy he hardly pays any attention to me. I always relaid on my mother."

Chantal sets her cup on the table. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Chantal says.

"Thank you, but it's fine." Hope says. "Me and my mother were at Bodhum one night, then the Sanctum found a Pulse Fal'Cie. The whole city was sent to a Purge. My mother went into battle with Snow and Patrick to get us home, then she end up dead hanging over a broken bridge with them." Chantal is speechless. She wants to say something, but she's not too good with words, even to someone she just met. "Vanille and I went trying to find them, well mainly Snow. But then we end up encountering that Fal'Cie."

"And then you all became l'Cie. Just like Patrick mentioned in his letters." Chantal says. "He never really mentioned about your mother."

Hope shrugs his shoulders. "I guess he didn't want to talk about it. He did made a promise to me he would keep her safe, and then promised her to look after me."

"Well, that does sound like him." Chantal says. "Ever since the fall, he's always talking about looking out for everyone." Chantal's expression is cheerful, then turned feeling strange at the next sentence. "And using Snow as monster bait."

Hope laughs a little. Looks like he's pulling it off. "Well, anyways. It all turned out okay. Lightning did adopt me and she's now my guardian. She's like a big sister to me."

Given to Lightning's cold personally, Chantal was not expecting that.

* * *

"Okay! Can you guess the gift!?"

"I'll have to say...a bicycle."

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes. that is my final answer"

"Okay. Because it is...not a bike! It's rolled-up socks!"

Serah, Snow and Chantal are all laughing. That's right. They're watching a silly holiday comedy known as 'Ho-ho-holidays'. "Oh, that is just so ridiculous!" Snow says. "I mean. Come on. The gift is wrapped like a bicycle! It seemed so obvious!"

"I know. This is the second time it happened. I'm starting to feel bad for him." Serah says.

"I guess this the game show brings a whole new meaning to 'You can't judge a book by it's cover'." Chantal says.

Chantal has gotten along very well with Serah, but she is still getting use to Snow. Not because of what I told her about him, but because he reminds her a lot like her crushie, Sky.

"So, Chantal. Patrick mentioned you're an honor's student. That must be nice." Serah says.

"It is. It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it." Chantal says.

"Well, have you ever thought about being a teacher?" Serah asks.

"Oh? ...Well, I never really thought about what to do after college. But that's one way." Chantal says.

"Being educated is nice and all, but don't you wanna hang out with friends. Spent some time with them?" Snow asks.

Chantal is blushing, feeling a bit nervous. "Uh...well, I have friends, and I still hang out with them. It's just, my studies come first." Chantal clears her throat. "There is one thing I want to know." Chantal looks away trying to hide her crushing expression and blushing. "You uh...seem like a nice guy, Snow...Just why does Patrick hate you so much?"

Snow and Serah's expressions are plain. Smiles disappearing. "Well, it's all really my fault he's like this." Snow says. "It was five years ago. He was looking for some jobs, so I hired him. He was very cool back then."

"Well, what happened?" Chantal asks.

"On our first mission together, we were infiltrating a PSICOM base where innocent people where kidnapped and taken in for an experiment. I got pretty careless and I end up killing almost everyone by hijacking a War Machine and lost control over it." Snow says.

"Oh dear, its no wonder he's cold with you." Chantal says.

"Well, it's not just that. If anything, that's just the appetizer." Snow says. "We went on other missions, most of which end up people getting hurt by me when I'm trying to save him."

"The way Patrick describes Snow is: 'The hero who hurts people'." Serah says.

"It stings a bit." Snow says. "The one mission that he hated me for the most was when I tried to take Serah to the Fal'Cie. I just wanted to find a way for her to complete her Focus, but instead I end up having her taken as prisoner."

"That's rough." Chantal says.

"Well, Snow's heroic act of recklessness isn't the only thing that had Patrick boiling. There was also the Big Sister's Complex magazines he's been giving him." Serah says.

"What? I stopped giving him those." Snow says, sounding a bit offended.

Now Chantal is shocked to hear that. She's familiar with those sexuality magazines. "Big Sister's? You do realize that Patrick doesn't like being treated like some sort of erotic."

"Sorry. I just...got the wrong idea." Snow says. "Anyways, I've stopped giving them to him."

"Even so, Patrick still can't stand Snow. Even the littlest of things set him off." Serah says.

There's silence between the three, until a bomb goes off. "VILLIERS!" Then a loud slam.

"Uh oh, speaking of which." Serah says.

I stomp all the way downstairs, into the living room until I'm right next to Snow. I shove a Hunger Games book in his face. "You got pizza stains all over my Hunger Games trilogy novels!"

Snow's eyes are just open, rolling side to as. He doesn't understand the situation. "Uh...I get you're upset, but I don't see how that's a problem."

I growl at Snow. "You are about as dumb as a box of rocks! I have told you a thousand times to stay out of my room! Also, THESE books are extremely valuable! Each of them signed by Suzanne Collins herself! And Yuna Akimura on Catching Fire." I slam the book hard on the side-table next to the couch. If it were glass, I'd break through it. "Do you have ANY idea what I went through to get these? All the hard work I've done! The pain I endured! I deal I made with Xever!"

Under all that, Serah is confused for her mind is sticking to Yuna. "Yuna Akimura? Why would she sign the book? She's a pop-star, not an author."

I look at Serah calmly and defensive when I answer her. "She ran out of photos to autograph and I didn't spent hours in the cold dark rain for nothing." I say.

"Look, I'm sorry. Okay. I'll clean it up." Snow takes the book, only as soon as his hands are on it, I assaulted him.

Grabbing his wrist, twisting. Pulling him off the couch. Slamming him to the ground on his stomach, bending his arm back. "You are beginning to make me regret sparing your life back at the Palamecia! The next time I catch you in my room, I will rip you apart and feed you to the Behemoths!"

I drop Snow and storm off, grabbing the book midway.

Snow sits up, watching me leave along with Serah and Chantal, up until I'm out of sight. "Sorry you had to see that." Serah says.

"I've seen worse. You should have seen how Alexei and Violet treated me." Chantal says.

* * *

"So, what do you think of the door?" Vanille asks.

Her gingerbread door is made of icing and gumdrops with two candy canes on the sides. Chantal and Vanille are making gingerbread houses, something Vanille enjoys doing. Even before she and Fang became l'Cies.

"It looks nice." Chantal says.

"Oh goody." Vanille says, clapping her hands together.

Chantal is just putting the finishing touches to her house. "Okay. Be honest. What do you think of mine?"

Chantal turns the house. Vanille gets a good look at it. Multiple types of candy decorated on the house, the icing holding it all together. Complete with a bench on the yard and a side walk.

"I love it. It looks so delicious I wanna eat it." Vanille says it with excitement, but then suddenly feels like she should. Chantal gets a bad feeling she means it and then slides the house further from Vanille and closer to her, protectively, laughing nervously. "But seriously, you are really good at this."

Chantal smiles. "Oh, I wouldn't say I am. I mean, I use to make gingerbread houses with my grandmother when I was little. It was so long ago. Guess I still got it."

Vanille and Chantal laughs. Chantal is really enjoying Vanille's company. Her innocent spirit really cheers her up. No matter what Vanille says or does, Chantal just wants to laugh.

"Vanille. How did it feel being turned to Crystal?" Chantal asks.

Vanille stops her work to think for a moment. "Um...well, I don't know where to start."

"How about when you woke up?" Chantal asks. "Didn't Fang mention you two woke up on Cocoon?"

"Oh. That...Well, to be honest. I was nervous." Vanille says. "We just woke up after being asleep for hundreds of years. And what's more is that we are on Cocoon. A world where we've been told it's a world of viper people who will one day raid on Grand Pulse." Chantal seems worried hearing that. She never knew that's how Pulsians felt about Cocoon. "But, as soon as I saw the world, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. And all of its people were very friendly."

"I guess we Cocoon citizens and Pulse people are no different from each other." Chantal says.

"Yeppers." Vanille says with a nod. "If one good thing came out when me and Fang awoken from our slumber, it's that we were able to open everyones eyes and woken them up from the nightmares."

"I always wondered what Grand Pulse was really like. I only heard how horrible it was. But then Patrick send me letters about his life in the new world." Chantal says. "Ever since then, I've been wanting to see it."

"Well. If you come back in the summer, I can show you around." Vanille says.

Chantal smiles with a small laugh. "Well, Patrick already offered to show me around. But, I would like for you to show me around some places as well."

"Okey-dokey." Vanille says.

Once the conversation is done, they resume working on their gingerbread houses.

* * *

Sazh sets up some of the ordainments on the Christmas Tree. Chantal wanted to help out with the decorations. While all the other assignments are taken, she decided to help out Sazh with the tree. Looks like the old man got himself a youthful handyman, or handywomen at that matter.

Chantal is surprise by all the different kinds of decorations on the tree. Not just the colorful balls and beads and the lights, but some old art projects. The one she most enjoyed was a sparkling needle pinned tree made by Hope. Really brights up when the lights reflect from it.

"You doing okay over there?" Sazh asks Chantal.

"I'm doing fine." Chantal says. Fatigue begins to overwhelm Sazh. He takes a break and sit on the hair. Chantal notices how exhausted he is, she stops her work to check on him. "You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. Just not as young as I use to be." Sazh says.

Chantal laughs a little. "It's funny. You're the man who faced a whole military army, a world of bloodthirsty monsters and brought down Cocoon. And all it took to wore you down is some Christmas decorating."

Sazh chuckles a little bit. "Yeah well, guess all that running away and saving the world really wore out these old bones."

"That reminds me. How did you end up being a l'Cie?" Chantal asks.

"Well, it wasn't on purpose or anything." Sazh says. "You see, my son Dajh became a l'Cie. I couldn't figure out his Focus, but I believed it had something to do with that Grand Pulse Fal'Cie. So I went into the Purge in Bodhum, I even ran into Lightning during the process. A lot of war and fighting, next thing I know I faced the Fal'Cie and became a l'Cie."

"You guys battled a Fal'Cie when you were human?" Chantal asks.

"Well, I wouldn't say Vanille was human during that time. But yes." Sazh says.

Chantal is silent for a moment. The story about four humans against a Fal'Cie really has her speechless. "Well...I believe Snow would do something like that, but the rest of you...That's just unbelievable." Chantal says. "I've never heard of humans facing a Fal'Cie and survived."

"Yeah, it was a stroke of luck we survived after all that crystalized destruction in Lake Brusha." Sazh says.

Chantal is surprised that there is a father who would go so far, as to battle a Fal'Cie as a human and become a l'Cie just to save his son from the fate of a l'Cie.

"You are quite a sweetheart, Chantal. Almost makes me wish I had a daughter." As soon as he said it, he now worries, then leans close to whisper to Chantal. "Just don't tell Dajh that."

Chantal giggles, then zipped her lips. "My lips are sealed."

It's nice that Chantal has gotten the chance to get to know everyone. She really enjoyed spending time with them.


	4. Knowing Each Other Part II

**A/N: Chantal has spent some time with everyone. Snow. Hope. Serah. Sazh. Even Fang and Vanille. The only people left are Lightning and I. She knows much about me, but not everything. Excluding the whole Cie'th Incident. But I wonder how she and Lightning will bond, given to Lightning's cold attitude.**

* * *

I'm glad Chantal is able to get along with everyone, excluding Snow obviously.

Even since when I mentioned she'll be visiting for the Holidays, everyone except for Serah and Hope thought Chantal would have been someone troublesome. All because I use to be a Mercenary. I can't really blame them. Mercenaries are unpredictable. Friends of theirs would probably be just as dangerous.

But I am not like other Mercenaries. I'm still a man of honor, even during a Great Depression.

But that's all behind me now that I'm Sergeant of the Guardian Corps, ORPHAN.

It's dark out, which lights the city up in multiple Christmas colors. I decided to take Chantal out for dinner. In one of my letters, I mentioned this one restaurant I know she'll enjoy. Just like right now, she's enjoying the nighttime view of the town.

"Wow. It's so beautiful." Chantal says.

New Bodhum lights up in the dark due to the decorations. There's not like a single inch of darkness. "Winter shows the city's beauty at night, indeed. Even more then it did back on Cocoon." I say. "Come on. It's this way."

We walk down the streets. It's not a far restaurant, just a five minute walk.

We arrive at the Golden Lantern. It's well known for its seafood, so far one of my favorites. In my letters, I mentioned to Chantal that I know a great restaurant to eat while we do some sight seeing around the city. Since the season of winter ruined most of the sight seeing, it's not gonna ruin our time at one of the greatest restaurants on Grand Pulse.

I order a table for two. We are both taken to a table by the window. Chantal and I sit across from each other.

"Feel free to order anything. My treat." I say.

"That's very kind of you." Chantal says.

We both go over the menu. Chantal is a bit overwhelmed by the choices on the menu. What will she take?

By the time the waiter came we place in our order. Mine is the Yellowmoon and Shrimp Sushis with Crab Sashimi. Chantal ordered the stuffed Sahagin with a salad side. We wait for our meal, but the waiter does deliver us a bottle of sparkling cider and two glasses.

"I trust you're having a good time?" I ask.

"I am. I'm so glad I could be here." Chantal says. "Visiting another world is such a fun experience. Even if it's the one the Sanctum told us it's Hell."

I chuckle a little as I begin pouring the cider into the glasses. "Yeah well, life's funny that way. I see you have been getting along with everyone."

"I have. All though..." Chantal rubs her arm nervously. "I have been noticing that...Hope is crushing on me."

"Yeah, I'm well of the kid's crushies." I say as I hand Chantal her glass of cider.

"Don't get me wrong. Hope is cute and sweet and I enjoy being with him, but...he's just too young for me." Chantal says. "And, you know, I'm with Sky."

I shudder at the thought of Sky. I have nothing against him, but he reminds me so much of Snow, and I do have something majorly against Villiers. "I get what you mean, but I doubt four years is really THAT big of a gap." I say. "All though seven might be, and Lightning can certainly agree on that."

"Oh? Hope was crushing on Lightning?" Chantal asks.

"Nope, but Fang sometimes teases Lightning and Hope being together a lot." I say. "Plus there was that one time when Lightning had amnesia and Snow convinced her she's Hopes girlfriend." Chantal seems a mix of confused and disturbed. "Don't ask." Then I take a sip of my cider.

"Speaking of which, I want to know something." Chantal says. "You use to be a Mercenary, didn't you?"

"Indeed I did." I tell her.

"What was it like?" Chantal asks.

I'm a bit astonished by her question. Nobody's ever asked me what it's like to be a Mercenary. "Oh. Well, honestly it is quite a life experience. Being about to explore and learn all kinds of people."

"I bet you made a ton of money doing some odd jobs, right?" Chantal says.

"More or less." I say. "Then again, there was the Great Depression."

"The Great Depression?" Chantal asks. "What is that?"

I take a sip of my cider before answering. "Well, it was three years ago. No job posts were coming in and my budget was running low. I was even getting desperate to find a job. Until I was offered a certain job."

"What kind of job was it?" Chantal sounds a bit eager. Just wait until she hears who it was that was offering the job.

"Nothing very pleasing. It was from the Abduction Agency." I say.

Chantal gasps flinching back. She's aware of who the Abduction Agency is. A group of bandits who abduct attractive women and train and sell them as sex slaves. If I had known of Chantal's beauty I could have warned her. Then again I didn't know what she looked like three years ago. For all I know, she could have been in a sweater with glasses. Dressed like a teacher they say.

"And you obviously deny it...right?" Chantal says. She's hoping that my answer is that I did decline the job.

"Well...not exactly." I say. Chantal is a bit shocked by my answer. "You see, what happened is that I did decline it, but later that day I learned a little something from the bulletin boards. The Sanctum are after the Abduction Agency. One of them 10 most wanted men. They were getting so desperate to capture them that they're offering a big reward. Ten times more then what I could make in a month. Maximum wage." Chantals eyes open wide. "And trust me, sister. That is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

"Oh my gosh..." The girl is even speechless.

The waiter came by to drop off some Garlic Rolls. Just something to nipple on while waiting for our meal. "So what I did is that I went to the Guardian Corps. I told them I would deliver to them the Abduction Agency."

"How did you do it?" Chantal asks. She's on the edge of her seat.

"Careful planning and advanced strategy." I say. "I gave the Guardian Corps their assignment and I accepted the job the Abduction Agency gave me, which offers me about five thousand Gil for each Abduction."

"You abducted women?" Chantal says shocked. She was loud too, about anyone near by went silent and looked at us.

"Now calm down." I tell Chantal. "Yes, I did but it was all part of my plan. For the next few weeks, I worked with the Abduction Agency. Doing the horrible stuff. But, what they don't know is that I'm sabotaging their operations." Hearing that has Chantal relaxed but curious. "Whenever the women were bought, what I do is I hack into the datascape and change the meeting locations for each of the women."

"Where did you take them?" Chantal asks.

I give a dramatic pause and lean in close. "To every place where the Guardian Corps are in hiding." I sit back down. "With each women I abduct, I make money. With each women that gets bought, I sabotage the Agency's work, and the whole operation fell." I holding out a roll, with both hands. "One..." I break the bread in half. "By..." Then break it in half again. "...One." Then I crush the piece of roll in my hand.

"Whoa...that is diabolical. Yet at the same time genius." Chantal says.

"That's how I roll. I do regular jobs normally, but on terrible jobs that involves crimes, I act as a double agent and bring justice." I say. I pop a piece of the roll into my mouth. "Eventually, the Abduction Agency fell, and all the women were rescued."

"That's amazing. I can't believe you were able to pull it off." Chantal says. "But now you're working with the Guardian Corps. Did life of a Mercenary became too much?"

"Not really. Actually, Lightning offered me the job." I say.

"Really? Why is that?" Chantal asks.

I'm silent for a moment. Trying to think. "To be honest, I don't know. She never really told me." I say. "Well, if nothing else, I guess it's because she realizes my talent when we were traveling as l'Cie. But it turned out well, we did became excellent partners."

"Being a l'Cie has really brought you guys together." Chantal says. "You sure make it sound like being a l'Cie isn't as horrible as people say."

I nod, and then our meal arrives. Chantal is amazed at the food. "Wow. This looks delicious."

I chuckle a little. "Well then, dig in."

* * *

'DING'

Serah opens the oven as the fresh batch of cookies are finished. The young lady hums 'We wish you a merry Christmas.' Vanille is just sitting on the counter watching Serah like she's very intrigued, and I'm just sitting right next to Vanille going over some old paperwork for the Guardian Corps. Mainly writing reports about the new recruits.

Chantal and I have recently returned from the Golden Lantern. She really enjoyed the food there. I'm glad she had a fun time.

"Hmm. Those cookies look yummy." Vanille says.

Serah sets the cookies on a place on the counter, using a cooking specula of course. "They are. But let them cool first. They just came out of the oven and they're really hot." Serah says. When that's done, she sets the tray aside then remove the oven mitts as she makes her leave from the kitchen.

Vanille just watches Serah until she's out of sight, then she sneaks over and takes a cookie. Only as soon as she takes a bite, her mouth is on fire. She's breathing rapidly as if to blow away the heat.

"You took a bite, didn't you?" I ask, not even taking my eyes off of my work.

Once Vanille is done suffering the heat, she looks innocent, hiding her hands behind her back like nothing happened. "No."

Chantal does a little exploring around the house. On her own this time. She stops her tracks when she comes in the presence of the piano room. Chantal has never seen a piano like this. Must be very unique to be a family heirloom. But she does know not to mess with it, even since it belongs to Lightning.

Still, looking at it shouldn't do any harm, right? Chantal walks into the room, slowly and carefully. Just does some looking around. What she does find, on the corner of the piano, is a photo. A family portrait of Lightning and Serah at a young age, with only their mother.

What confuses her the most is there's no picture of a father to the Farron Sisters. Must have left a long time.

"What are you doing in here?" Her voice causes Chantal to flinch, even jumped a little.

Lightning is hanging by the door, arms crossed and looking at Chantal like she's her prey. "Uh...I was...just looking around."

Lightning raises and eyebrow. She really doubts it. "Right..." Lightning walks right in. Chantal feels a bit nervous, not sure if it's her shyness or worrying over Lightning's soldier attitude. "So...I hear you took piano lessons?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I use to take lessons when I was little." Chantal says.

"Interesting." Lightning sits right on the piano seat. She opens the Keyboard, pats on the empty seat next to hear. Chantal is confused at first then realizes she wants her to sit next to her. "Show me what you got."

Chantal didn't think Lightning would really be interested in her piano talent. After a moment of hesitation, Chantal plays the piano. Lightning observes Chantals hand movements on the piano while listening closely to the key minors. What surprises Lightning more is that she does it with her eyes close. Chantal is done very shortly.

"Not bad." Lightning says.

"Thanks. I always believed that music is played through the heart and soul." Chantal says.

Lightning smiles a little. "Funny. That's what my mother always says." Lightning focuses her attention to the piano and plays on classical tone on the piano. "She taught me how to play when I was little. She always believes that music comes from the heart and soul, and takes form from the instruments we play."

"That sounds very nice." Chantal says. "That's also a bit unexpected coming from you."

"I get that a lot. I'm not as cold and heartless as I seem." Lightning says. "I'm just mostly that way."

Chantal giggles a little. "I was even surprised to hear how much you take care of Hope. I'm sure he's a lucky kid."

"Yeah. Hope's a great kid. Makes me feel bad for the way I treated him from the start." Lightning says.

"Really? What happened?" Chantal asks.

"Well, when we became l'Cies, Sazh and Vanille and I went separate ways in the Vile Peaks. Hope wanted to follow me but I didn't want him to because he would slow me down. I even wanted to leave him behind to fend for himself." Hearing this surprises Chantal, in a way meaning she can't believe Lightning would do that to a child. "But then after my battle with my Eidolon, I realize that he's not like me. He's not strong or have stamina. He's just a kid. So I decided to bring him along."

"Well, I guess he must have melted your cold side." Chantal says with a small laugh. Lightning groans quietly and rolls her eyes. She doesn't find it funny. "Say, that reminds me. Patrick mentioned that you use to hate him."

Lightning suddenly stops her piano playing, with a foul major key even. She looks at Chantal a bit surprised, then frowns a little. "Yeah, I see where this is going. The reason I hated him was because he was a Mercenary."

"But, you do know he's not really a bad guy." Chantal asks.

"That's what Serah's been telling me. But I didn't listen." Lightning says. "You see, I only met Patrick a couple of months ago, on the night of my birthday. Serah invited him and her boyfriend Snow over. Back then, it wasn't very pleasing having a birthday with a Mercenary and some idiot."

"I see what you mean." Chantal says. "What changed your mind about Patrick?"

Lightning's change of heart for me was when she learned about what happened between me and my father. Even the part where I've been cutting myself with the same dagger I used on him.

"Nothing I can really say." Lightning says. "But here's one thing: When we arrived on Grand Pulse, we started to bond a little. After the fall, I realize he's not such a bad guy."

"Is that the reason you hired him into the Guardian Corps? Cause you two have a special bond?" Chantal asks.

Saying that, Lightning looks at Chantal astonished, and then defensive. "Hey, watch it! It's nothing like that...Actually, the real reason I hired him is because I didn't want him spending the rest of his life as a Mercenary. I figured it was best he has an honest job."

"I understand, but I'm sure Patrick has limits with his jobs as a Mercenary." Referring to what I told her at the Golden Lantern, with being a double agent on the crime jobs, especially the Abduction Agency.

"Yeah. You're right. But still, I just think he's better off having a real job." Lightning says. Lightning is silent. She plays a few notes on the piano, then Chantal does as well when Lightning stops playing. Lightning smiles a little, enjoying Chantal's beautiful play. "You are a nice person, Chantal." Chantal is a flattered by Lightning's comment.

"Thanks. You are nice person as well, Lightning." Chantal says.

Lightning gets up from the piano chair. "You know, there's this one song my mother use to share me." Chantal just watches Lightning as she makes her way to the desk at the corner of the room. She opens one of the draws to take out a sheet. Lightning returns to the piano and sets the sheet in view for reading. "It's an old song that's been passed down from generation to generation. Do you want to play it?"

"Wha...Me?" Lightning nods. This is unexpected. Chantal just got to know Lightning, and now she's giving her something valuable. "Uh, sure."

Chantal looks over the notes, and then the lyrics, on the sheet. Once she's done, she now begins playing. Chantal plays the melody for 'The Promise'.

[Make my wish come true, let darkness fade to light  
Show me there's still hope, show me it's not over]

What Chantal and Lightning doesn't know is that they're being spied on. Hope, Serah and Vanille are by the door, listening closely at the door.

[Battles we can win, our struggle lies within  
Will we live to greet the dawn?]

Serah recognizes the melody. She heard it enough times from Lightning and her mother. Chantal starts at the beginning again, only this time she sings. Her tone matching to the peaceful melody.

Make my wish come true, let darkness fade to light  
Show me there's still hope, show me it's not over  
Battles we can win, our struggle lies within  
Will we live to greet the dawn?

Hope is pretty astonished and speechless. The kid cannot help but stare at Chantal. She is very talented with the piano, and her singing is beautiful. He has never heard of anything like this. It's like he's watching and listening to an angel.

Chantal pauses the singing but continues the melody of the song.

[Love will not leave you, hate will not heal you  
Promise me one day that peace shall reign]

Just then, the rest of us joins in. Sazh, Snow, Fang and I. We wonder what's doing on, then we look in to see Chantal is playing the piano with Lightning by her side. I'm a bit surprised, but eager to see more of Chantal's piano talents.

Chantal continues to sing.

Make my wish come true, let darkness slip aside  
Hiding all our hope, mocking what we treasure  
Battles we can win, if we believe our souls  
Hang in for the light, till dawn

Fate will not leave you, hate will not heal you  
Pray and one day, peace shall flow everywhere

Chantal now continues by starting at the first four melodies of the song. Lightning is very impressed. Chantal must be very talented if she were able to do this song perfectly under one try. Took her a few attempts to get it right.

We all quietly, slowly walk into the house, hoping we don't disturb Chantal's concentration to the music, or that Lightning wouldn't notice us. Chantal sings the last of the lyrics.

Love will not leave you, hate will not heal you  
Promise me one day that peace shall reign

And the rest of the melody Chantal plays is the ending of the song, (Which is that violin ending in Serah's Theme) Once she's finish, Chantal lets out a relaxing exhale, then that relaxation sudden turns into nerve when she's been caught by surprise by the sudden applause.

"Chantal. That was amazing!" Vanille says.

"Yeah. You're very talented." Serah says in agreement.

"O-oh...You guys were listening?" Chantal asks. "I never really played in front of anyone, except maybe my parents."

"The music was beautiful, Chantal." Hope says, then gets a little carried away with his compliments. "Y-you also have a beautiful voice. You're like an angel, a pretty angel that plays beautiful music with a beautiful voice." Chantal smiles a little as she chuckles a bit nervously while rubbing the back of her head.

She thinks Hope's adorable but she's feeling awkward. Fang can agree. She pulls the boy back and whispers to him. "Dial it down a notch, kid."

"Thank you, everyone...I feels nice to know people enjoy my music." Chantal says.

"Well, maybe one day when you overcome your shyness, you might get discovered and become a celebrity." I say.

Playing in front of a group of friends is one thing, but playing in front of millions of fans/strangers is different. Chantal doesn't see that happening. No way she'll ever overcome that much shyness.

But she still has some faith. "Maybe someday."


	5. Bonding

**A/N: It's too bad SnowEmbrace makes her characters out of comics. Not saying it's a bad thing, just that I think it would be nice to hear Chantal play the piano, or her other OC, Katryx playing the violin. Other then that, SnowEmbrace's comic work and gallery is excellent. You guys should check it out.**

 **Had a tough choice of choosing which song Chantal should do.**

 **Suteki Da Ne  
Skyscraper  
Unwritten**

 **I figured I should go with the Final Fantasy XIII song since I'm writing a story about the game. Then again I could have done a Kingdom Hearts song since Chantal is originally an OC for Kingdom Hearts.**

* * *

Chantal lays in bed, in nothing but a long white T-shirt with a music note on it. That's just what she's wearing. Really she's under the covers to protect herself against the cold. The poor girl is having a little trouble sleeping, as if her body is still trying to adjust living in a different world with strange people. Even through everyone's been friendly with Chantal, a little too friendly from Hope, she still can't shake the feeling.

Chantal gets up from bed. The second she's out of the cover, the cold kisses her exposed skin, and seeps right through the shirt. Before she departs from her room, she puts on her purple robe then wonders down the hallway.

Chantal makes sure that she is quiet during her travel around the house. She doesn't want to disturb anyone. It's about one in the morning. However, what she doesn't know is that I am also awake.

I'm right now in the kitchen, on the corner is my bandages. My left arm is now exposed, revealing a long row of scars, all the way to my elbow and with a faded row of six more on my upper arm. I apply more of the salve onto the scars. The medical treatment works slowly. I've been applying it everyday since weeks after the fall. So far, only the scars on the shoulder arm vanished.

I can only hope I'll be able to rid of them one day. They are the mark of my guilt and suffering from my past.

Chantal arrives in to the kitchen only to be surprised to find me there, but what's more surprising is seeing my scars. She never knew about them. It's certainly a shock. But now becomes nervous the second I saw that Chantal is there.

"Chantal?" Now I'm the one who's surprised, then a little nervous. Judging by her expression she saw something I didn't want her too. "How long were you standing there?"

"I...I just got here." Chantal says. "Your arm...what happened?"

I sigh in irritation as I grab the bandage and being wrapping my scarred arm with it. "I told you, it's nothing. I don't want to talk about it." Chantal can respect that, even through she still worries. "So, what are you doing up this late?"

"I just couldn't sleep." Chantal says as she walks into the kitchen.

"Why? A nightmare? Nervous about something?" I ask.

Chantal shakes her head. "No, no. It's not that. It's just..." Chantal doesn't have a real answer. She too is a bit unsure. "I don't know. I guess...it's hard to adjust. Being in a new world with strange people."

"Yeah. It happens." I say. "In life, we are just so use to being in familiar areas with people we know and love. Being in different places with different people can make you nervous, even if you are unaware of it."

"Really? Have you experienced it before?" Chantal asks.

"Several times, when my father died." I say. "Though most of them could really be directed to his death." It's true. "When I left Leronde and end up in Bodhum."

"That must be hard, leaving behind your home and friends." Chantal says.

"Actually, I didn't have much friends back in Leronde." I say. "Besides, it wasn't so bad leaving since the town was purged days later." A purge went on in Leronde when the Sanctum found a Cie'th, my father, in the town. "Anyways, point is changes are hard, even if it seems easy."

"That is true. I remember how hard it was being a new student in High School." Chantal says.

"Just remember you are around friendly people...and Snow...and you'll be fine." I say.

After our little conversation, I went straight back to bed, leaving Chantal in the kitchen. Chantal does not do anything for a moment. She wonders about the scars on my arm. The girl is curious how it happened, from a Mercenary job maybe? She believes it's nothing but can't help but wonder.

No matter. After making herself some warm milk she went back to bed, hoping for a good night sleep.

* * *

While I'm on my mission with Lightning, Chantal is spending her time with Snow. She's trying to get use to him without her crush on Sky interfering. So far, she's able to talk to him without blushing or getting nervous...much.

Snow and Chantal are on their way to his hangout, the NORA house and cafe. It's poker day for the NORA crew and Snow wants to attend it. He figured, while I'm not present and knowing I'll beat the stuffing out of him if he dares to do this, that he could bring Chantal to meet his team.

"I get Patrick can't stand you, but how does he feel about your team?" Chantal asks.

"Well, from the start, he didn't tolerate them, can't tell if it's cause I lead them or cause they are, as Lightning usually says, a bunch of kids. But I do believe they're growing on him." Snow says. "If he does, then maybe he'll grow a liking to me one day."

Chantal laughs. Knowing me, she knows that's never gonna happen. "That'll be a miracle, Snow."

Snow and Chantal arrive at the NORA house. There, Snow's crew: Lebreau, Gadot, Yuj and Maqui, are all waiting inside. Gabot and Yuj are at the table with the deck of cards, Maqui is just looking back on the bench while Lebreau is just behind the counter wiping down the table.

"Hey, Snow!" Lebreau's greeting alerts the other guys, especially Maqui.

"About time you showed up, man. We were getting bored." Gadot notices Chantal standing next to Snow. "Who's the cutie?"

Chantal blushes, flattered by Gabot calling her a 'Cutie'. Lebreau approaches, eyeing at both Snow and Chantal. "Hey, I thought you were married to Serah. You dating behind her back?"

Now she's claiming Snow is dating Chantal. That is not helping the poor girl separating her feelings for Sky and Snow. "Easy, Lebreau. She's just a friend...well, a friend of Patricks."

"Seriously?" Gadot says. "A friend of Patrick's is hanging out with you, and he's not even hunting you to the ends of the earth?" Everyone else excluding Chantal and Snow are laughing, cause they know it's true. Mainly if he does something stupid and gets Chantal hurt.

"Anyways, this is Chantal. And these guys are my crew. Team NORA." Snow says.

"My name's Lebreau. We're gonna get along niely." Lebreau says.

"I'm Gadot. Second in command." Gadot says.

"Yuj. Charmed." Yuj takes Chantals hand and kisses the back of it. Chantal smiles, flattered.

"H-hi. I'm Maqui. Pleasure to meet you." Suddenly, Maqui minds Chantal of Hope. Probably cause he's a kid with white hair, even through Hope's is silver. Strangely, he's doing a better job at introducing himself then Hope did.

"It's nice to meet you all." Chantal says.

"Like wise." Lebreau says.

"Enough with the introductions, hero. Let's get to our card game." Gadot says.

Everyone gathers around a round table for their poker game. Lebreau goes behind the counter to make drinks for everyone, non-alcoholic for Maqui and Chantal, assuming that she is underneath the drinking age.

"Have you ever played Poker?" Yuj asks Chantal.

"Me? Not really, I've never really gambled in my life." Chantal answers.

"Well you're lucky you haven't played Poker with Fang. She's such a sore loser." Gadot says.

It's true. The last time we played poker together, Fang keep sweeping away the entire deck from the table. Plus when Snow won five times in a row, she accused him of cheating. She can't be blamed, even I and partly Lightning believed he was.

"I always thought Patrick wold be the sore loser." Maqui says.

"Actually, in his letters, he was pretty cool with poker. He use to play with some of his mercenary friends." Chantal says. "Except for the part when Yuffie was caught cheating."

Everyone looks at Chantal, intrigued and curious. "Really? What happened?"

"He mentioned that she won ten times in a row, then was caught cheating. She escaped by stealing his Chocobo...after that, he didn't say anything else." Chantal says.

Everyone exchange looks. Half of them know that me being silent after that part means it got pretty ugly.

"Well, when the conversation's done, let's begin the game." Gadot is certainly eager to start playing poker.

The game goes on for about twenty minutes. Gadot is starting to reach his limits for drinking a bit too much. He can hardly focus. Chantal is having a hard time learning the game. The one mistake she made in the first was showing her deck to Yuj.

After about seven matches, she is starting to understand how it's played. Her only problem is finding the luck. "All right. I'll raise 500 gil." Snow says.

"You're bluffing, man." Yuj says.

Snow gives a serious look at Yuj, raised an eyebrow even. "Does it look like I am?"

Chantal laughs a little. She thought that was funny. "Okay. I see how it is." Yuj holds out his hand of cards. "Three of a kind."

"Not bad, Yuj...but not good enough." Snow lays down his hand. "Royal Flush."

Yuj is not happy to see this. He even slams his fists onto the table. "Damn it!"

Chantal looks at her hand. She only has two pairs. She doesn't stand a chance. Even through the girl hasn't won a single match, she's still having fun hanging out with Snow and the NORA crew.

"Five of a kind." Gadot puts his hand down. Everyone else looks at it. It's not five of a kind, just a king, five, ace, two and nine.

They are most confused, then they remembered that he's drunk. "Gadot. That's not a five of a kind."

"Of course it is! See? Five kings and three aces and twos." Gadot looks closely at his deck. "Whoa...I didn't know I have eleven cards in one hand."

That's a silly thing to say. "Okay..." Lebreau takes Gadot's drink. "I am cutting you off, Gadot."

Gadot turns over his shoulder to Lebreau. "No...I can still do this..." Gadot leans too far back and ends up falling back from his chair. Everyone notices and crash, even Chantal is worried.

"Oh dear. Is he okay?" Chantal asks.

"Yeah. He's fine. I've seen this happen several times with our costumers." Lebreau says. "Just wish they would keep their mouths shut. They said several things about me, not very flattery at all even."

Judging by Lebreau irritation tone, it's defiantly not good. Everyone is wise not to talk about it, even Chantal. "You guys are really fun to hang with. I'm surprised Patrick never mentioned you all."

"Yeah, well he was never tight with any of us." Maqui says.

"Except for me. Well, it was mostly cause I found out his little...problem with Snow." Lebreau says.

"I've stopped giving him those magazines! All right!" Snow says.

There's silence in the room now. Maqui and Yuj have no idea what Snow and Lebreau are talking about, Gadot wouldn't either if he was awake and sober.

"Anyways, Patrick isn't fond with us, but he doesn't really hate us. If anything, he's just like Lightning. Can barely stand us." Yuj says. "But it's not all bad. He slowly grows a liking to us, well as along as Snow's not around."

"That's a good thing to hear. I have seen and heard how he treats Snow." Chantal says. "I mean, I understand his hatred, but still."

"Yeah, we get it as well. Now let's deal the cards, I want my Gil back!" Yuj says.

* * *

Chantal had a fun time at the NORA house. Now she and Snow returns to the home. Vanille is right outside the house making a snowman with Hope. Vanille thought it would be fun and Hope decided to do one with her. As soon as Snow and Chantal arrive at the door Hope is nervous and embarrassed.

He wants Chantal to see him as a guy, not some child building snowman. "What are you guys doing?" Snow asks.

"Uh...nothing. Nothing at all." Hope says.

"We were building a snowman, silly." Vanille says with a giggle.

"A snowman? That sounds like fun." Chantal says with a smile.

Hope flinches back opening his eyes wide. He was not expecting that. "R-really?"

"Would you like to make one with us?" Vanille asks.

Chantal nods, she would love to make a snowman. Snow decide to join in as well. They have fun in the snow while Fang is dragging home some food for dinner tonight. Serah wants to make a holiday feast tonight, while Chantal is still here. Fang figured the best way to do it is with a Grand Pulse tradition:

To hunt your meal.

Dragging a dead Behemoth, one that's a youngling compared to the large Behemoths we usually encounter in this world, Fang arrives at the house. What she didn't expect was a snowman making event right outside the house.

"Hey!" Everyone stops their work and pays attention to Fang. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're making snowmen." Vanille says. "Don't you remember, Fang?"

"Yeah. I do." Fang drops the dead Behemoth as she approaches to her friends. "On the very first snowday of winter, you always burst out of the house and make a snowman."

"Don't forget what you always do." Vanille says.

"Oh yeah. I believe it was a little something like this." Fang bends down to scope up a snowball then launches it directly at Vanille.

Vanille ducks seeing the snowball coming at her, and it hits Hope right in the face. Fang realizes that she missed, but didn't care. She laughs seeing the kids face smudged with snow. Vanille can't believe he got hit, mostly cause it's her fault since she dodged.

"Fine. If that's how you want to play." Hope scopes up a snowball and launches it at Fang, hitting the hunter in the face. Snow and Vanille laughs, while Fang gives a grumpy look.

Fang blows some snow off of part of her face. "Oh, it's on, kiddo!" Fang throws a snowball back on Hope. They both are having a snowball fight, even Vanille joins in shortly afterwards.

Snow and Chantal just watch the battle, then they look at each other, shrugging their shoulders like 'Meh, what the heck?' then they join in on the snowball fight. The fight goes on for a while. It started as a war for Hope and Fang, then they all end up having fun.

* * *

"Ha, ha, ha. No way. You're serious?"

After spending half an hour out in the cold, Chantal takes a break in the living room, with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Hope, Vanille and Sazh are with her. Hope and Vanille are roasting marshmallows while Sazh is telling Chantal a story of how Vanille had her first s'more.

It was pretty funny.

"I'm dead serious, little lady. She had no idea what a s'more was." Sazh says. "Patrick offered her one saying 'You want a s'more Vanille?' and then she responded 'Some more what?'."

Chantal and Sazh laughs. "I know Vanille and Fang are hundreds of years old, but how can she not know what a s'more is?" Chantal asks.

Fang walks by the room with a box of supplies. "Grand Pulse is a brutal jungle. We didn't have s'mores, cause we never had time to rest and relax by the old campfire while the wildlife are going to make a meal out of us!"

What Fang says is true. "Anyways, the whole thing went on for quite a while. She clearly couldn't get the message."

"Well, you can't really blame her." Hope says. "I mean, Grand Pulse and Cocoon live in different ways."

They all mutter in agreement. Vanille and Hope enjoy the marshmallows. The phone rings, but nobody bothers to get it. Serah walks out of the kitchen to answer the phone.

"Hello? ...Lightning? ...What's wrong? ...Really? ...Okay, I'll tell everyone." Serah hangs up the phone. She walks into the living room. "Guys." Everyone gives Serah their attention. "Lightning just called. She needs us to come to ORPHAN Inc. immeditately."

"Why? What's the problem?" Hope asks.

"I don't know. She said it's an order from Primarch Raines." Serah says.

Hope realizes if Raines is calling out to everyone, it must be something serious. "Well then let's go."


	6. The Cie'th of Christmas Present

**A/N: I figured this story could use a little battle scene. After all, no Final Fantasy story is a christmas story without action. Here, everyone is attending a meeting at ORPHAN Inc. where Raines gives them an assignment. This is going to be wicked. Have your popcorn ready.**

* * *

Lightning and I are waiting right outside the Primarch office. Moments ago, Lightning phone Serah into telling everyone to come to the ORPHAN Inc. immediately.

Serah and the others, including Chantal, finally arrive ORPHAN Inc. is still under construction. Right now, only the first seven floors are available for work use, while the other four above are off limits due to being too close to the construction areas.

Chantal is pretty amazed at the sight of the building, mainly on the inside. Serah and the others found Lightning and I at the end of the first floor.

"There you guys are. It's about time." Lightning says.

I am surprised to see Chantal is here. "You guys brought Chantal here?"

"Wasn't we suppose to? You Lightning did say everyone." Snow says.

"Shut up, Villiers!" I say. Snow should know when Lightning means 'Everyone', she clearly mains everyone except Chantal. The only difference that separates between her and us is that we're l'Cies, use to be l'Cie but still carry the power and magic I mean.

"I'm sorry." Chantal says.

"No, no...It's fine. Just stay out here." I say.

"Raines is waiting for us inside. Let's go." Lightning says.

Chantal waits right outside while the rest of us goes into the office. The Primarch office is large with comfy furniture. Raines sits on his throat, which is the Sanctum throne that use to be seated by Primarch Dysley.

"Glad you all can make it." Raines says as he gets out of his seat.

"Why did you call us out here, Raines?" Fang is suspicious given to the last time we encountered Raines on Cocoon.

"It's a long story, so I'll cut to the chase." Raine pushes a button on his desk. A hologram of the Grand Pulse map appears in the center, focused on the Archylte Steppe. "Several weeks ago, we have sent a small scouting team to investigate the Archylte Steppe. But none of them returned or even report back. I have sent several soldiers to the area to location the missing team, but they they never returned as well. The situation grows much worse, then the largest raid of elite troops was sent earlier today."

"Did they went missing too?" Hope asks.

"Possibly. We were able to connect them for a report of the situation, but we lost contact when they were assaulted." Raines explains. "From what we've heard, it wasn't from PSICOM."

"A monster, perhaps?" Fang asks.

"Precisely." Raines says.

"And you want all of us to check it out?" Snow asks.

'It's obvious, moron.' I thought. "Look, with all due respect sir, but if a large raid of elite soldiers don't stand a chance against the thing, what chance do the eight of us have against it?" Sazh asks, worrying.

"Do not forget. All of you were once l'Cie. The power still flows through your veins. You all once faced the military and brought down Cocoon and save it. I have faith that you all will have the situation under control." Raines says. "Good luck and be careful out there, everyone."

* * *

We went out on our mission, riding on our Chocobo's against the harsh, cold winds. Serah is mounted on Lightning's Chocobo and Chantal with me on Snowflake. Serah and Chantal are not well experienced with mounting Chocobos, at least not yet for Serah. Chantal wanted to come and see us in action, after witnessing some of my power on the way to the house from the drop off.

Not only that, but we're all dressed up in our winter outfits. Lightning on a long sleeve white sweater and black winter vest. Fang and Vanille in fur coats. Snow and I are still dressed the same, only I have layers underneath mine. Hope on a thick white jacket with a green scarf. Serah in a pink trench coat and black snow hat. Sazh is also dressed regular with layers underneath and a scarf.

We arrive at the Western area of the Archylte Steppe. "This is the place where Raines said the disappearance started." Lightning says. We all hop off our Chocobos.

"Oh man! I didn't think the cold could get any worse." I say, shivering.

Fang slaps me in the back of my head. "Would you quit your complaining yea big baby?"

"Leave him alone, Fang." Lightning says. "All right, Fang and I will take point. Patrick, you and Serah cover the rear. Chantal, you stay close to Snow."

I on the other hand disapprove that. "What? Why are you letting that moron look after Chantal?"

"I understand your frustration, this is serious. Snow maybe an idiot, but he's capable of looking out for Chantal." Lightning says.

I refuse to accept it after witnessing the hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who got hurt because of him. Including Hope's mother, Nora. "If it makes you feel better, I'll watch out for her as well." Hope says.

When Hope says watching out for her, I got a feeling he's not meaning what I think he is, given to his crush on the girl. And it looks like Chantal might agree with me. "Fine." I turn my aggressive attention to Snow. "But if anything happens to her, you're dead Villiers."

Once we're at our positions, Fang and Lighting taking lead, Serah and I at the end, armed and on alert, with everyone else in between, we make our move.

We walk around the Archylte Steppe, keeping our eyes out for any threats. So far, there's nothing but ice and snow. There are no monsters wondering around here, that seems very strange. Especially to Vanille and Fang.

Chantal is feeling a bit nervous. She has a bad feeling that something is watching them. It's an eerie feeling. "There's nothing out here." Sazh says.

"Let's just keep looking. You'll never know when you'll-" Fang was interrupted by bumping into something. It feels like stone, but it's not firmly in place for her impact causes the statue to fall.

We all investigate the statue. "Is that...some kind of statue?" Hope asks.

"Just what is a statue doing in a middle of nowhere?" Fang wonders.

Lightning and I get a good look at the statue. I even bend down getting a closer look. Once I see it's face, I'm horrified. "Lightning! ...Look!" Lightning bends down for a closer look. "It looks just like Sixteen."

Sixteen is one of the soldiers we work with. I've only been on a few missions with him. Even so, I can recognize his face. "You're right..." Lightning stands back up, she walks up ahead only to find more statues with familiar faces. "Milla...Eugene...Slice." Up ahead, there are more statues. Each of them with a familiar face to Lightning and I, few from Hope as well. "The missing ORPHAN forces...they're all here."

Chantal approaches to one of the statue, gently knocking at it. Solid as a rock. "They've been...turned to stone? How is that even possible?"

As we wonder, both around the field and questioning what's going on, something from the cliffs is moving. Slithering is more like it. We are curious and cautious around these snowly fields. The further down the stone statue path we take, the more statues that appears.

Our path ends at some stonehenge made out of the statues. This has us all wondering, then we're on alert, Vanille, Sazh and Chantal terrified, when a loud, wailing screech echoes through the land. Hope even screams and jumps into Fangs arms, who was the only person next to him.

The screech goes on for a few seconds, then slowly dies down. Once it's gone, Fang looks at Hope a bit grumpy. Hope chuckles nervous realizing the situation he's in, then Fang drops him where the kid is greeted by a bed of snow.

"What...was...that?" Chantal asks, terrified.

Lightning turns over her shoulder, putting a finger on her pressed lips. Telling us to be quiet. Lightning draws out her Gunblade, then the rest of us take out our weapons. Serah and I have our Bow and Swordbow out, loaded and draw back ready to shoot, but we don't fire.

All of us stay on guard, on alert for any attacks from an enemy. But nothing comes. Lightning lightly waves her hand forward. We move ahead, slowly, still on alert and armed ready to attack.

It's quiet now, a little too quiet. Lightning, Fang and I don't even like it.

Just then, something crashes right behind us. We immediately turn, only to be shocked. We cannot believe what we're seeing.

The monster is a Cie'th. One we've never seen before. A giant 50 feet long serpent with four arms, two main large ones with scythe's for hands and two more beneath the arms with regular hands, sharp teeth, snakes for hair and the mark of the Cie'th directly on it's forehead.

Sumdea iapotrópaia

Serah and I shoot our arrows, physical and laser, instantly. They pierce the creature, only to react by slithering towards us in a burst of speed. "Everyone take cover!" Lightning shouts.

The second the creature is in range to slam one of it's scythe arms on us, we dodge out of the way. Lightning, Sazh, Vanille and Serah hiding in one direction while the rest of us are hiding behind a large rock against the creature.

"What is that thing?" Chantal says.

"It's a Cie'th." I say. "But it's nothing like I've ever seen."

Sumdea screeches. The monsters wailing hurts our ears. Lightning and the others manages to meet us from behind the boulder. "What kind of a Cie'th is that?" Snow asks.

We all look at Vanille and Fang for an answer. "Don't look at us. We've never seen a thing like that before." Fang says.

"How are we gonna take that thing down?! We're doomed!" Sazh says, panicking.

Fang slaps some sense into Sazh. "Calm down, Sazh!" Fang says. "What's the plan fearless leader?"

Lightning thinks for a plan. "I have a strategy we can do. Those Scythe arms are pretty deadly, so Fang and Snow will hold them off. In the meantime, Sazh, Patrick and Hope will strengthen us all. Once Snow and Fang have the monster in place, we attack."

"Chantal. You hide somewhere safe." I say.

Chantal nods in agreement. "Okay."

Chantal hides behind a rock near the cliff wall. Snow and Fang are out in the open, trying to draw the Cie'th towards them. In the hiding, Hope, Sazh and I are in our Synergist roles. Hope handles the defenses. Sazh builds everyone's strength, including Haste, while I'm doing En-spells and Vigilance.

"Hey! Ugly! Fresh meat over here!" Fang shouts.

Sumdea sees Fang and Snow. It screeches and slithers towards them. Fang and Snow are in their Sentinel roles. They defend themselves in Steelguard and Mediguard, and were able to block the strikes, holding onto the two scythe arms.

"Now!" Lightning orders.

Lightning charges right in. The rest of us stay behind. Sazh and Serah shooting in Commando. Hope casting offensive magic in Ravager while Vanille and I are in Saboteur, casting dark magic to weaken the monsters defenses. Sumdea is immune to Imperil and Slow, the Slow is predictable since it's very fast.

The second we finish weakening the monster it draws back slithering around at high speed. We all stay together, Vanille shifts into Ravager while I shift to Commando.

Sumdea slithers away at a great distance. Even far off, it still looks large. The Cie'th then turns around and comes right at us. "It's coming back!" Sazh warns us.

The Cie'th dives in head on. We avoid the attack as Sumdea iapotrópaia bites the ground we were standing on. While it's occupied, we attack the monster, even Fang and Snow switched into Commando. Fang leaps high, lets out a battle cry as she dives to jam her lance into the Cie'ths snake hair.

Lightning, Serah and Snow attacks from its left side while Vanille, Hope and I attack from the right. Sumdea impales its scythe arms to the ground and pulls itself up. Fang jumps off its head. Fang and Snow shifts back into Sentinel, but they're too late for defenses. Sumdea strikes Serah, Sazh and I. We were all knocked back, injured even.

"Vanile! Help them out!" Lightning orders.

Vanille salutes then starts coming to our aid. Fang and Snow both block the next attack. Hope shoots powerful Firaga spells at the Cie'th. Lightning leaps towards the monsters face, shooting with her Gunblade, then quickly shifts it into a sword to strike once she's in range of the face.

Vanille heals the three of us in her Medic role. Once we're fully restored, we're back on our feet. "This thing is like fighting that Skull Reaper from Sword Art." I say.

"No kidding. I don't know what's scarier about it. How fast that thing is or those scythe arms." Sazh says.

We regroup with the others and help battle against the Cie'th.

It's a rough battle. Long and dangerous. Chantal is at a mix of worried and amazing at how we're handling the monster. Lightning's plan works well up until the Cie'th begins to weaken. It screeches very loud, summoning a holy sphere. The sphere summons forth several Cie'ths. Shambling. Winged. Undying.

"Sweet mother of Fal'Cie." I say breathlessly. I have never been this horrified to a Cie'th since my father turned into one.

Even Chantal is horrified at the sight of sudden reinforcements. "This is too much to handle." Sazh says, and he's right.

"Then it's time for reinforcements of our own." Lightning says. "Everyone! Eidolon's now!"

We all summon our crystals and toss them into the air, each of them close to each other. I load up a Ruin-enhanced Arrow, aim for the crystals and fire. The arrow explodes once it hits the crystals.

All of the eidolons are summoned.

Odin. The Shiva twins. Bahamut. Hecatoncheir. Brynhildr. Alexander. Even My and Serah's Omega Weapon and the Leviathan twins.

Chantal is speechless. She has heard of the Eidolons, but this is the very first time of ever seeing them, up close and personal. The Eidolons come to our aid and they help us fight off the Cie'th.

Snow will act as a distraction, by riding on Shiva and hold off Sumdea iapotrópaia. "Hey! Ugly!" Sumdea hisses as it turns its attention to Snow. "Looking for me?" The Cie'th roars and chases after Snow. I'm liking that part of the plan so far.

The rest of us handle the reinforcement Cie'ths Sumdea summoned. Snow drives the giant Cie'th in circles, literally, throughout the field. Chantal keeps her eye on the monstrous Cie'th. Good thing cause it comes close to her. Chantal hides as Snow drives the Cie'th right pass her.

As the Cie'th chases Snow, it slams its tail to the cliff. The cliff rumbles and rocks start to fall. Chantal screams and makes a run for it.

The sound of the girl's screams catches Hope's attention. He sees rocks falling on her and starts to worry. The rocks stop falling and Chantal was able to catch her breath, but she is still not out of danger. What she doesn't realize is another boulder is falling right above her.

Hope sees the situation and runs to her. "Chantal!" Chantal looks up, the boulder is two seconds from crushing her. She's too shocked in fear to move. "Look out!" Hope tackles Chantal, pushing her out of the way. Hope wasn't too lucky. He's didn't get squashed, but his foot was crushed. by the boulder.

Hope lets out a loud scream of pain. The sound reaches to all of us and we all got worried, not so much from Fang.

"Hope!" Lightning, Snow, Vanille and I all shout.

Lightning turns her attention back to Sumdea, who strikes her. Lightning dodged at the neck of time then counterattacks with Odin. "Help Hope!" She orders.

After taking out my Cie'th, I hurry over to Hope and Chantal. Chantal is trying all her might to push the boulder, but it's too big. Hope's not doing so well either, enduring all the pain. I give her a hand with the boulder, but it still doesn't budge. Then Snow came in and lend us a hand. We were able to open it a crack. Chantal grabs Hope by the shoulders to pull him out, once he's out, we drop the boulder.

"Hope! Are you okay?" Snow asks.

I give Snow a slap on the head. "What are you? Stupid? Of course he isn't!"

Hope grabs hold of his broken foot, gritting through his teeth in agony. "I'll...I'll be fine. Help...the others."

Snow and I take Hope's word and we joined in on the battle.

Sumdea iapotrópaia has everyone at their limits. Already, it knocked back Sazh and Serah. Lightning and Fang fights in vein while Vanille is going all out with her offensive magic. Bahamut does an aerial attack, just when the eidolon is diving, Sumdea gives it a stoney stare with a hissy roar, and Bahamut slowly turns to stone.

As I run, I throw several of my shurikens at the Cie'th. They didn't do much damage, but they got its attention. I run at high speed, with the add of Haste. I'm about to show this creature the power of the Shadow Hunter.

I circle around Sumdea, shooting bows. Al so fast it's like I'm everywhere around the monster. Sumdea suffers much from the arrows. Once it had enough, it slams its tail on the course I was circling in, knocking me away until I crash into the cliff and fall unconscious to the snowy ground.

Vanille releases the metal wires from her binding rod. The wires coil around the Cie'th. Sumdea realizes the situation it's in and tries to break free by slithering away. Vanille gets dragged forward a little, but then stands her ground and pulls the Cie'th back.

"Hold her steady, Vanille!" Fang shouts as she, Lightning and the other remaining Eidolons, excluding Shiva, attacks Sumdea.

Sumdea wails in agony as it unleashes hundreds of dark razor winds, which takes out most of the Eidolons. Snow drives in riding on Shiva, unleashing blasts of ice and snow at the Cie'th as they drive around it.

"Looking for me, handsome?!" Snow shouts.

Sumdea shoots bolts of purple lightning at Snow, but always miss him by a couple of inches. "Whoa-ho-ho-ho! Ice try!" Snow unleashes Diamond Dust on the Cie'th, and it ends frozen solid. Shiva turns back into the twin sisters and they make their leave.

Lightning, Snow and Fang stand in front of Sumdea iapotrópaia. "I must admit Snow, that was very impressive." Lightning says.

Snow smiles with a wink. "Always leave this to the heroes."

Lightning gives a grumpy look. "Don't push it."

Just when they're celebrating their victory, they suddenly hear the sound of ice cracking. Just as they are worried, they look up at the Cie'th. The ice is cracking, until it shatters and the monster instantly lets out a screeching roar. Sumdea gives a hard tug and drags Vanille in, then whips its tail sending Vanille flying to crash into the snow.

"Vanille!" Fang shouts in worry. Sumdea strikes at Fang and Snow, knocking them back.

Now it's just Lightning and Odin. Sumdea roars right in Lightning's face. Lightning shows no fear, but she does look away from the drooling winds and the foul corpse breath.

"Guess it's just you and me." Lightning says. "Odin! Lend me your blade!"

Odin drops its Dual-Blades and transforms into a horse. Hope and Chantal watches Lightning and Odin. Lightning grabs the Gagnrad and mounts Odin. "Let's ride!"

Odin neighs and runs around Sumdea. Sumdea iapotrópaia strikes by impale its scythe arms to the ground. Odin dodges the attacks while Lightning strikes back at the Cie'th. The Dual Blades are enhanced in intense lightning energy. Sumdea suffers gravely from the slashes. Not only that, but powerful lightning rains down and strikes the monster.

Chantal is speechless from the fight. "Wow. I can't believe at what I'm seeing."

"Indeed. Lightning truly is amazing." Hope says.

Lightning shouts with every strike. Each of them unleashed by all of her strength. Odin charges onto the Cie'th, and Lightning delivers several hard strikes. Sumdea starts staggering, that's when Lightning has her chance.

She leaps off of Odin and unleashes Zantetsuken, delivering light-speed slashes on the monster, and ends it with a X slash.

Lightning lands right behind the Cie'th. Sumdea iapotrópaia is frozen in place. After a moment, the monster suffers the after slashes. The cries in agony as it slowly dies. Once it collapses, it starts to fade away into the darkness.

Lightning lets out an exhale, link the dual-blades together and hands them to Odin. Odin now makes his leave.

We take the time to recover from the battle. Not only that, but all of the ORPHAN soldiers and troopers return to flesh. They are free from the curse of stone.

Serah checks on Hope while we all gather back, except for Lightning who checks on the missing soldiers. "Is everyone okay?" Vanille asks.

"Define okay." I put a hand on my right shoulder. "That attack did a number on me."

"Speak for yourself." Hope says, complaining. "Ow...I need medical attention!"

"Okay. Okay. Let's get him back into the house." Serah says, and everyone else agrees.


	7. Merry Christmas to all from Grand Pulse

**A/N: How nice of Hope to play hero for Chantal, wouldn't you all agree. I wonder if that will give him some credit into winning the girl's heart. Wouldn't you agree SnowEmbrace and/or Chantal? I'm just teasing. I still think she should be with Sky. Agent of the Shadows shows of it. *Whispering close to Chantal and SnowEmbrace* Don't tell Katryx. I hate to find out what she'll do to me.**

* * *

We hurried home so that Hope can be taken care of, and so Serah can behind the Christmas dinner for tonight, even through it's Christmas Eve. The girl has a lot of work to do, Lightning even offers to help her little sister. Meanwhile I am helping all the ORPHAN soldiers and troopers, who were turned to stone, return to headquarters.

Vanille looks at Hope's foot, while he's sitting on the couch trying to relax. Fang and Chantal are by his sides. "How's he doing?" Chantal asks.

"It's defiantly broken. But it's also dislocated." Vanille says.

"Well, then I'll just pop that bad boy back in." Fang says, cracking her knuckles then her neck. Now Hope feels nervous.

Fang gets a firm hold of Hopes foot. "On the count to three. Ready?" Vanille asks Hope. Hope notes, worried. He has to brace himself for the pain. "One-"

Suddenly, Fang makes her move. Hope screams in pain. Vanille and Chantal are both surprised as well. "What happened to two and three?" Chantal asks.

"Yeah. What happened to two and three?" Hope asks Fang.

"Two. Three." Fang says. She says it like it's suppose to be a joke, but no one is laughing, not even Vanille. "Look. If there's one thing I've learned down here on Grand Pulse, is that some things are less painful when you least expect it." Fang stands back on her feet. "If anything, I did yea a favor."

Fang just walks away without any any other word. Hope, Chantal and Vanille just watches her leave. With Hope and Chantal, their expressions read that they can't believe what she just did.

Vanille wraps the foot in bandages with an ice pack.

Serah struggles handling things in the kitchen. Not much time left since they were involved on the mission to take care of that Cie'th monster. Lightning helps her around the kitchen. Lightning may be a well trained elite soldier, but cooking isn't really one of her specialties. But she is good at cutting. No surprise really.

"No! Don't pour that in there!" Serah just stopped lightning pouring pineapple juice into a small cooking tray of stuffing.

"Why not? Isn't this part of the recipe?" Lightning asks.

"This tray is for Patrick. He's deathly allergic to Pineapple, remember?" Serah says.

Lightning realizes that. "Oh, right." She can't really be blamed, she's still trying to get to know me.

Now I return to the house. Only once I'm in, I don't bother to remove my layers. I just go to the living room and crash onto the chair by the fireplace. I take the couch but Hope has it for his medical aid.

"Oh boy! I'm beat." I say.

"That's unexpected coming from you." Hope says.

"Yeah. You try guiding the missing ORPHAN members back to headquarters in a middle of an icy cold snowy day." I give a relief sigh. "Just glad it's over. Anyway, how you doing kid?"

"He'll be fine. Should take about two months before he heals." Vanille says.

That's good to hear. We kill some time while we're waiting for dinner. Everyone excluding Hope, Chantal and I are out playing in the snow. Or in Vanille's case, figure staking on the icy ocean. I'm just in my room watching the anime Sword Art Online. If I wasn't so weak against the cold, I would join everyone else outside. I would even bury Snow into six feet of snow.

Hope is just wondering around the house in crutches. "Oh, Hope. Hey." Chantal approaches the boy. Hope starts to get nervous, he wonders what she wants from him. Even after the way her tackled her out of her doom from back at the Cie'th battle. "Listen. I just wanted to say thank you for saving me back there."

"O-oh." Hope blushes a little, looks away a little just to hide his embarrassment. "It...it was nothing."

"No it wasn't. I could have been crushed by the boulder." Chantal looks down at Hope's broken foot. "And you also got hurt pretty bad doing it."

"I'm fine, Chantal. Really. You don't need to worry." Hope says.

"I know." Chantal is silent for a moment. "Look. I know that you have a crush on me." Hope's smile disappears. She knows and he wasn't expecting her to be. I guess his crush really is obvious. "Look, you are a very nice boy but...I don't really feel the same way."

Hope sighs. "I know. I have no chance with you." Chantal frowns a little hearing Hope say that. "I just...want to at least let you get to know me better. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"No, you didn't bother me. But I do understand how you feel." Chantal says. It's no surprised to Hope since he knows about her crush on the Snow-look-alike Sky. "I just want us to be friends but...since you risked your life to save me, maybe we can...go out sometime."

Hope's mind exploded. He can't believe that Chantal is asking him out. Sort of. "Y-you mean...like on a...date?"

Chantal laughs a little. "Maybe...but I'll think about it. Probably when I visit in the summer."

"Th-that sounds great. I'll wait then." Hope sure sounds excited. Chantal admires Hope's excitement. She thinks it's adorable. It's no wonder Lightning take him under her wing.

Just when they're having their moment, they look up to see a mistletoe, hovering right above them. But what they don't know is that I'm hidden in the second floor hallway, dangling the mistletoe right above them.

"Oh...would you look at that? A mistletoe." Hope says.

"So it seems." Chantal says.

After viewing the mistletoe they look at each other, face-to-face. Hope just gives a stone look with nervous eyes. He knows what's going to happen and he's trying to hide his worries. That's when Chantal leans in and gives him a kiss...on the cheek.

Not exactly what the kid had in mind, but he'll take it.

After the kiss, Hope is overwhelmed and ends up passing out. Chantal's worried from the start, but then remembers he's okay. Passing out after being kissed by a girl he's crushing on. Perfectly normal.

I saw the whole thing and smile. Then Lightning sneaks up behind me. "What are you doing?"

"Gah!" I flinch, losing my grip on the rope that holds the mistletoe. Just hoping Chantal doesn't notice. But that is the least of my worries. "W-what? Who me? Nothing...nothing at all."

"Right..." Lightning crosses her arms and gives me a doubtful look. "Still think he didn't have a chance?"

I submit. "Okay, I admit it. But still, the kid got hurt to save Chantal and she's asking him out. If anything, I'm just bringing them the dessert."

"You are messed up, you know that?" Lightning walks away without saying word.

I just stay behind and watch her leave. "I killed my own father when he turned Cie'th then dropped out of school and became a Mercenary, but THIS makes you realize that?"

* * *

We all gathered by the dinner table. Dinner is ready. Luckily Hope woke up minutes before it's served. Serah wouldn't want the kid to miss out on the feast.

Serah has really outdone herself. Roasted Behemoth. Mashed Potatoes. Pineapple Stuffing, with regular stuffing right next to it. Fruitcake sprinkled with Stardust Spice, really makes the top layer sparkle, and some Salad. Not bad for making dinner for nine on the first try. After giving our prayers to the Maker and the Savior, we dine.

As if Snow being a complete moron was bad enough, he eats like a pig. Even Lightning and Fang agrees with me. Serah sure married a lucky one all right. We had to slap some manners into him.

"Serah. This is amazing." Hope says.

"I agree. You cook much better then I ever could back in Obera." Fang says.

"Thanks, guys. I'm glad you enjoy it." Serah says.

"Certainly beats how I spent my holidays after I moved to Bodhum." I say, earning looks from everyone.

"Let me guess: Spend the holidays alone?" Fang says.

"Well, yes. But on the fourth year, I spent the day with my Mercenary comrades." I say. Spending Christmas alone wasn't so bad. I just relax and enjoy the day off from jobs, go to a Church to worship and just enjoy some seafood at Crabapple, a restaurant that was once popular back in Bodhum.

"Really? How'd it go?" Vanille asks.

"I'd rather not talk about it. Let's just say I'd rather be on Santa's naughty list then spent Christmas with them." I say.

"Want to take a stocking full of coal instead? Sounds like it was a horrible event." Sazh says.

"It was more Halloween then Christmas really." I say, and everyone else on the table laughs.

Chantal is certainly having a fun time at the table, she even enjoys her meal. Now it's hard for her to pick a favorite dinner: The Golden Lantern or Serah's home-cooking.

After dinner, we all gathered around the campfire. Serah and Lightning use to play the piano and sing Christmas Carols back when their mother was around. We figured it was a good idea to do it. Even Serah is stoked to bring back an old tradition.

We even brought down the piano from the second floor. Even with Fang, Snow and I lifting the thing it was hard work to get it down. Who's idea was it to have a piano room on the second floor?

"I'm not really a good singer, so I'll stay out of this." I say.

"It can't be that bad." Serah says.

"In the middle school play, I sung so bad for Home School Musical that all the audience went deaf." I say. "The school suffered a major bankrupt for giving away refuses...and paying for 10 ear replacement surgeries."

Everyone looks shocked, half of them gritting their teeth while exhaling sharply. It's pretty shocking all right.

"I'd like to see that embarrassing moment, but I'd rather keep my razor-sharp hearing ability." Fang says.

"How about we let Chantal play?" Lightning offers.

All eyes trace onto Chantal. "W-what? Me? No, I couldn't."

"You should. Go on." Vanille says.

"The talented one should be the one to play." I say.

Chantal blushes. Our comments flatter her. "Thank you...Okay. I'll do it."

Chantal gets on the piano. We all gather around the Piano, so do I even though I'm not gonna sing. But in between the songs, I do go into the kitchen and get cups of eggnog for everyone and, it'll be really painful for me to admit this, even Snow.

Chantal plays beautiful music with the Christmas songs. Silent night. Carol of the Bells. Silver Bells. We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Twelve Days of Christmas. I'm surprised at how Chantal was able to keep up with Carol to the Bells when we speed up the song. Even at the last verse, she looked like she was struggling to meantime the speed. Lightning and I thought we heard a few off-key notes.

Meh, no matter. It's still enjoyable.

After singing, we took a special photo moment, celebrating our first Christmas together as one big happy family, then we all watch a christmas movie, something Hope use to do with his parents. Funny thing is halfway through the movie, he fell asleep, snuggling against Lightning like a child would do with his mother.

All the girls thought it was cute, even Fang.

* * *

It's Christmas Day.

We already celebrated yesterday. But we didn't really open presents. Figured we saved that for the actual day. Chantal is now in the guest room, packing up for her leave. The rest of us are downstairs. I'm waiting for Chantal to make ready for her leave so I can take her home.

"Okay. I'm ready." Chantal walks down the stairs. We all gather by the door as Chantal walks down the stairs.

"Chantal. Before you leave. We have some presents for you." Serah says.

Hope, Vanille, Serah, Lightning and Fang revealed some wrapped gifts. Sazh haven't thought about giving gifts for Chantal, and I forbid Snow for even trying to give her anything, and if he tries to do it behind my back...well, I'd rather not say what I'll do to him.

"Presents? For me? Guys...I don't know what to say. I didn't even get any you gifts." Chantal says.

"You're a guest of the household. You don't need to worry about it." Snow says.

Vanille hands Chantal her gift. "Open mine first." Chantal accepts the gift and unwraps it, then open the box. What's inside is some bracelet made of seven rows of colorful beads and music notes made out of crystal attached around the bracelet, like a second layer, only with space in between and it's only one row. "It's a friendship bracelet. Made it myself."

"Thanks, Vanille. I love it." Vanille helps up it on her left wrist. Hope is next for his gift giving. The poor kid struggles holding it while trying to keep his crutch in place with his underarm.

"He-here. I hope you like it." Hope says.

Chantal giggles a little, seeing that 'Hope' comment to be a joke since it's his name. Hope never thought of trying to make her laugh, but he certainly achievement it unknowingly.

Anyways, Chantel opens the gift box. To her surprise, it's a Snow Globe of New Bodhum. "Just a...friendly souvenir for your time visiting Grand Pulse." Hope rubs the back of his head and chuckles nervously. Like what he said made it sound a bit lame or cheesy.

Still, Chantal loves it. "Thanks, Hope. It's so sweet."

Chantal gives Hope a hug. While she does, the kid can feel himself melting with butterflies in his stomach. "All right, sweetchecks. Open mine." Fang seems impatient. But knowing the kind of person she is, Chantal opens it.

Chantal is a bit disappointed. Fang's gift is some kind of fur beast skin. "Uh...Geez, Fang. I always wanted a...uh...fur blanket?"

"It's a Gorgonopsid skin rug. Just to bright up a room." Fang says.

Chantal is certainly speechless, and not in a good way I mean. She can't be blamed, Fang isn't exactly a good gift giver. She always make her gifts Grand Pulse style. If Chantal feels uncomfortable with that rug, she should have seen what Fang got me for my birthday two months ago.

"Uh...thanks, Fang. How very...thoughtful of you." Chantal says. It's true. It's really the thought that counts.

After Fang, Serah handles Chantal her gift. Inside the gift is a small box. Chantal wonders what it could be, then realizes a few things about it. The decoration. The opening. The turn key on the side. Chantal opens it and winds it up. Just as she expected, it's a music box, playing a beautiful music that could subdue anyone.

"It sounds so beautiful. Thank you, Serah." Chantal says.

Serah smiles. "You are quite welcome, Chantal."

Now Lightning is next. Luckily, we've saved the best for last. "This is a gift from both Patrick and I."

Chantal accepts it and unwraps it. She figured it's something special if she and I are doing it together, and Chantal is certainly right about it.

It's a picture, in a frame, of all of us right in front of the house. The picture we took the other night. Chantal is right in the middle between Snow and Fang. Serah riding on Snow's back with her arms wrapped around him. Lightning on the middle left with Hope in front of her, a hand on his shoulder. Sazh with Dajh on his shoulders, standing right next to Lightning. Vanille smiles with hands behind her back, middle right. I'm on the right with two fingers out. A peace sign.

What's more is on the corner, it says 'Happy Holidays, Chanel. Welcome to the family.'

Tears fill Chantal's eyes. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. No one's ever given her a gift like this before. "This is...amazing. I love it."

Chantal hugs Lightning. The soldier girl is caught by surprise, then returns the hug. Soon enough, all of us join in. It's only been three days and Chantal already feels like part of the family.

"I almost wish I didn't have to go so soon." Chantal says.

"Well, you can always come back. We'll be here." Sazh says.

"I'll think about it when I have some time. Maybe in the summer." Chantal says.

"All right, then. Now let's get you home." I say.

"But, how? The airlines are all closed for the holidays." Chantal says.

Fang chuckles while cracking her knuckles. "Leave that to me, sweetheart."

* * *

"Fang. There's no way I'm doing this."

We're standing at the edge of a cliff, over the horizon. Fang gets the idea of mounting a wyvern like she did back in the Palamecia. I'm here for assistance to capture the wyvern while Fang tames it.

"What's the matter? Getting cold feet?" Fang asks.

"No, it's just that..." Chantal doesn't know how to put it.

"Then you should have no problem." Just then, a fleet of wyverns flies over us. "Here they are! Patrick! Go fish!"

"Right!" I load my bow with an arrow tied to a rope. I aim for the furtherest wyvern of the pack. It's about 500 matters. That's twice the range I can do. Doubling that is like biting off more then I can chew. I fire the arrow.

It flies far as I hold on tight to the other end of the rope.

The arrow hits the wyvern. I make my stand in Sentinel, holding an iron grip on the rope, then Fang starts running. tThe Wyvern is held in place as it reaches the end of the rope. I get dragged for a second, only slide on the ground, but I'm still standing.

Fang just high and jams her lance into the wyvern, directly on the spine. The Wyvern roars in agony, then calms down. "Good girl." Fang tells the Wyvern. She looks back at us. "Well, you getting on?"

I get on the Wyvern without any hesitation. Chantal denies it at first but I encourage her to mount on. Once we're loaded, Fang commands the wyvern to take its wings an fly towards Cocoon.

Chantal screams through the entire ride, holding on tight to me like I'm her life essence and if she ever lets go, she'll die.

We arrive in Palumpolum, Cocoon in thirty minutes. Chantal is still frighten even after the screaming stops. The city is one of the few towns in Cocoon that survived the fall, that isn't in crystalized ruins.

We land at Chantal's house, where her parnets are living, which is a small neighborhood on the opposite side of the city where we were when we arrived at Palumpolum during our l'Cie travels. It's no wonder Hope didn't know about her back on Cocoon.

Even after we dismount from the Wyvern, Chantal doesn't let go of me. Her grip is pretty hard. Even more then I did to hold on to that wyvern.

"You okay, Chantal?" I ask.

"Are you kidding?" Chantal's tone sounds pretty upsetting. "I rode on a wild beast traveling hundreds of feet in the air to another world!" Then her tone and expression changes. "It was so amazing!"

A mix of frightening and excited. That's nice to hear.

"We never cease to amaze you do we?" I say with a chuckle. "Anyways, take care, Chantal."

"Same to you. I'll be waiting to hear more from you in your letters." Chantal says.

"Same here. Merry Christmas." I say.

We both give our farewell hugs. "Merry Christmas to you too...Give everyone else a merry christmas for me." Chantal says.

I'll make sure that I do. We both depart ways. Chantal goes back into the house while I leave on the wyvern with Fang.

It was fun having my pen pal around for the holidays. We all hope we get to see her again.


End file.
